Contentment Archives - Page 2 of 4 - Sharla Fritz
September 3, 2019

5 Ways to Ignore Cravings and Live By the Spirit

“Don’t do it,” I told myself as I started down the basement stairs.

“Don’t do it,” I repeated as I walked toward the shelf where my secret stash sat.

“Don’t do it,” I said again, as I opened the container.

But I did it. I grabbed a piece of mint-chocolatey goodness and popped it in my mouth. The shouts of the chocolate calling my name were louder than my own voice urging me not to give in to temptation.

I keep my stash of dark chocolate in a tin in the basement. My rationale is: out of sight, out of mind. And if the chocolate calls so loud that I can’t ignore it, at least I burn a few calories going down to the basement to get it. (Surely, going up and down one flight of stairs burns two hundred calories, right?)

Sometimes I’m able to ignore the voice of the chocolate, but sometimes, no matter how many times I tell myself, “Don’t do it,” I go down and raid my secret stash.

Chocolate Cravings and Human Desires

Chocolate cravings aren’t the most heinous of desires, but they certainly provide a good illustration of how our sinful nature does not always want what is best for us.

This week I’ve been reading through Galatians and this verse struck me:

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. (Galatians 5:16-17)

The whole discussion of desires is what motivated me to study the concept of enough. I spent a year exploring what the Bible said about finding enough, about finding contentment. (Click here for more of my posts on this topic.) Just like I sometimes ignore my own inner pleadings to ignore the shouts of the chocolate in the basement, sometimes I go against the Spirit’s nudgings and seek to satisfy more serious cravings of my sinful nature even though, deep down, I know they aren’t good for me.

As long as we live in this human body, we will have this struggle.

When Paul wrote “live by the spirit,” he used the present tense of the imperative mood in Greek. In layman’s terms, this indicates habitual conduct. We must continually listen to the prompting of the Spirit. We must always work in the power of the Spirit. Otherwise, we will constantly go back to our default mode of gratifying our sinful, human desires.

Live By the Spirit

As I thought about this, I wondered what it would mean to continually live by the Spirit. Here are a few ideas of what it looks like in my life.

  • Spend time in God’s Word. God speaks to me through Scripture. As I read, the Holy Spirit gives me guidance, teaches me about God’s kingdom, and reassures me of the Father’s love.
  • Incorporate times of silence. I find I usually need silence in order to hear God’s voice more clearly. I’m trying to start my Bible reading each day with a couple of minutes of silence to quiet my mind. Also, every month, I try to take a personal retreat–a morning to read, journal, and purposefully listen to what God wants to say to me. (If you would like to try this, read my post about taking your own personal retreat.)
  • Pay attention to feelings of dread or anxiety. These feelings may be signs that I am following the desires of my sinful nature. I take these emotions to God in prayer and ask Him to help me sort them out.
  • Memorize God’s Word. When I have Scripture stored in my heart, the Holy Spirit can pull up the appropriate verse to speak to me in His language.
  • Limit time exposed to social media, advertising, and shopping. All of these things can feed my human nature, spurring on discontent, envy, and false desires.

As I practice these things I am better able to follow the path God has for me. Romans 12:2 says, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” The world and Satan will always try to make us fear and doubt God’s will for us. But Paul reassures us that God’s plan for our lives is continually good. When I remind myself of that fact, I’m able to live by the Spirit and shut out the old desires that only lead to pain, anxiety, disappointment, and disillusionment.

And maybe I’ll also be able to ignore the calls of the dark chocolate stored in my basement.

Filed Under: Contentment, Spiritual Disciplines Tagged With: , ,
June 25, 2019

The One Thing Keeping You From The Life You Want

eyes of love

Once upon a time a rich young ruler comes to Jesus. This man had everything: money, power, youth. Maybe he was even not-too-bad looking.

But even though it seemed like he had everything anyone could want–he knew he was missing something.

He came to Jesus with a burning question

“Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17)

This young man knew that the things he had wouldn’t last forever. He needed eternal life.

Jesus gave the searching man a rather standard answer: Follow the commandments. Don’t murder. Don’t commit adultery. Don’t steal. Don’t lie. Honor your father and mother.

The young man thought: Good. I’ve got this. He told Jesus, “I’ve done all those things since I was a boy.”

But Jesus knew there was one thing that was holding the man back from the life he really wanted. There was one thing that was distracting him from his real life. So Jesus looked at the young man and said:

“You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” (Mark 10:21)

The rich young ruler went away despondent. Because this was the one thing he could not do.

I totally get that young man. Not that I’m rich. Or powerful. Even youth has pretty much passed me by. But there have often been things in my life that have distracted me from my real life–the amazing, beautiful life that Jesus wants me to have. Sometimes Jesus has asked me to surrender things I held tightly–in order to wholeheartedly follow Him.

And often I have been exactly like that man that met Jesus. I have said no. I’ve hung onto whatever I thought it was I couldn’t live without. Music career. Pursuit of dream house. Wanting family close.

But when I’ve hung onto those dreams, those desires–I discovered that didn’t actually make me happier. They only pulled me away from Christ. I couldn’t follow Jesus closely because I was dragging around the weight of my own will, my own expectations.

Usually I come to my senses and realize that a life of following Jesus is better than any other path. I eventually release that one thing that is holding me back from the life I really want–the life God has planned for me.

What are holding onto? If Jesus spoke to you and said, “You lack one thing. Go and surrender _________” What would that one thing be?

If Jesus spoke to you and said, 'You lack one thing. Go and surrender __________' What would that one thing be? Click To Tweet

It’s always difficult to surrender things we hold dear. But there is one phrase in Mark’s account of the rich young ruler that makes it a bit easier.

Mark wrote “Jesus, looking at him, loved him” (Mark 10:21).

When I struggle to surrender whatever God is asking me to let go, I remember Jesus’ love. I picture Him–looking at me with eyes of love–holding out His hands to take whatever burdens He has asked me to relinquish.

Jesus doesn’t ask me to release my desires or my possessions because He wants to make me miserable. He asks me to release them because, in His love, He knows the one thing that is keeping me from the life I really want.

Next step: If Jesus spoke to you and said, “You lack one thing. Go and surrender _________” What would that one thing be? Spend a few minutes basking in Jesus’ love for you. Then write a prayer surrendering that one thing–the one thing that is keeping you from the life you really want.

In this world we struggle and strive, convinced that we can only be content if we have more. But we can only find enough in the God of sufficiency.

If you would like to learn more about finding enough, check out my brand new book Enough for Now: Unpacking God’s Sufficiency! 

A study of the parable of the rich fool, it will help you discover:

  • enough money
  • enough stuff
  • enough food
  • enough relationships
  • enough time
  • enough of me

You can find out more about it here. And order it here and here!

Filed Under: Contentment
June 18, 2019

To Find Enough: Watch Out for Satan’s Lies

Satan works overtime to spoil our appetites and too often we fall for his lies.

Why is contentment so difficult to attain? Why do we always want more? This post is part of a series on finding enough.

When I was a kid, my dad had a habit of pushing back from the table after a delicious and enormous feast and saying, “I spoiled my appetite.”

Of course, he spoiled his appetite. He had eaten two servings of roast beef, a generous mound of mashed potatoes, fresh green beans, and two pieces of apple pie. He was no longer hungry.

My siblings and I laughed at my father’s joke every time.

But a spoiled appetite isn’t always so funny.

Satan works overtime to spoil our appetites and too often we fall for his lies.

It all started back in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve had everything they could want: delicious food, rewarding work without any of the problems, weather so delightful that clothes were unnecessary. They didn’t need anything. And yet, Satan knew how to tempt them—to make them think they didn’t have enough.

God had given Adam and Eve permission to eat from any tree in the garden—except one. He told them that if they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they would die (Genesis 2:16-17). Satan, however, tried to convince them otherwise. He said, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4-5).  He insinuated that God was holding out on them. He tempted the first couple to want more—to be like God. Suddenly all the Creator had given was not sufficient.

Satan continues to tempt us with the idea of more. He tells us that God is withholding His best from us. He whispers that what we currently have couldn’t possibly be enough.

To combat Satan’s lies, we need to arm ourselves with God’s truth. His Word tells us:

And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? Matthew 6:26

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Romans 8:32

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. Matthew 6:31-32

God promises to meet our needs. We may not always have everything we want and sometimes we may not get everything we need as quickly as we like, but God daily cares for us. He wants us to trust Him.

To combat Satan's lies, we need to arm ourselves with God's truth. Click To Tweet

So when you are struggling with contentment, recognize Satan’s lies. He trying to spoil your appetite for God. He wants you to think God is holding out on you.

Instead, rest in the fact that God cares for you and promises to care for you.Trust Him for all your needs. Let Him be your enough.

Next step: Think about what lies Satan may be trying to get you to believe. Print out the Scriptures on God’s provision and post them where you can review them when Satan tries to whisper in your ear.

If you would like to learn more about finding enough, check out my brand new book Enough for Now: Unpacking God’s Sufficiency!

A study of the parable of the rich fool, it will help you discover:

  • enough money
  • enough stuff
  • enough food
  • enough relationships
  • enough time
  • enough of me

You can find out more about it here. And order it here and here!

Filed Under: Contentment Tagged With: ,
June 11, 2019

How To Be Extraordinary

This post is an excerpt from my book Enough for Now: Unpacking God’s Sufficiency. Learn how ordinary can be extraordinary.

A few years ago, I attended a writing conference where one of the speakers asked participants to write the names of our three favorite movies. It didn’t take me long to come up with three titles: While You Were Sleeping, It’s a Wonderful Life, and The Sound of Music.

“Next,” the speaker said, “think of something these movies have in common. What ties them together? What underlying theme do you find in all three? This is a clue to your true passion.”

It took me much longer to uncover a shared theme. After all, what do a Chicago token taker, small-town loan officer, and an Austrian nun have in common? Finally, I realized all three movies have a main character who thinks he or she desperately wants one thing, but in the end discovers happiness in something totally different.

Yes, I thought, this reflects my passion of living in the love of Jesus. Time and again my human nature desires something out of my reach. I become certain contentment is not possible without this one thing. Sometimes God answers my prayers and gives me that desire, but more often He gently and lovingly shows me what I long for doesn’t lead to joy. I reluctantly give up the dream, plan, or goal and God gives me something much more satisfying in its place.

Ordinary vs. Extraordinary

But recently, I realized another connective theme between the three movies–the theme of: ordinary. At the beginning of each movie, the characters—Lucy Moderatz, George Bailey, and Maria Von Trapp—want something extraordinary, glamorous, or special. But in the end, they find fulfillment of their dreams in the commonplace, mundane, and ordinary. In While You Were Sleeping, Lucy has a crush on a handsome, mysterious, successful businessman but finds happiness with his more humble tradesman brother. George Baily dreams of traveling the world and building impressive skyscrapers but discovers his life has impacted hundreds of people while he stayed in his humdrum hometown and worked at the family business. Maria thinks she needs to serve God through full-time Christian work and retreating from the everyday world, but God calls her to a more ordinary role of wife and mother. (This movie has a little twist: Maria’s life turns out extraordinary—even as she chooses the ordinary path.)

This is not easy for me to admit, but I have been like Lucy, like George, like Maria. I wanted to do something big for God—write a bestseller or lead hundreds of people to Christ. I wanted to impress the world and show God I deserve His love and grace. Perhaps this is because our culture continually drums this call to big and important. A truck commercial that frequently plays on my TV goes something like this:

How do you want to live? As a decent person? Fine human being? As a good father, friend, son? It that it? Good? Of course not.

Parent of the year? Better. Employee of the month? Absolutely. One of a kind. The center of their world. Like a boss. Like a pro.

As the truck rolls across the screen, the ad reminds me it is not enough to be good, to be decent, to be a fine human being. I need to be better or the best.

But God doesn’t call me to do something big and important. He asks me to love the people around me and work in the place where I find myself.  This may not look impressive or get my name on the five-o-clock news. My seemingly insignificant efforts may not win awards or garner a million hits on social media. But as I obey in the small things, God Himself will do the extraordinary.

God Calls Us to Ordinary

Oswald Chambers, author of the devotional My Utmost for His Highest, wrote:

It is ingrained in us that we have to do exceptional things for God—but we do not. We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things of life, and holy on the ordinary streets, among ordinary people—and this is not learned in five minutes.

God calls us to the ordinary. He calls us to everyday faithfulness. He calls us to adopt the words of John the Baptist, “He [Jesus] must increase but I must decrease” (John 3:30). At first this seems a hard thing. We want to be noticed. We want to be special.

But constantly striving to prove ourselves is exhausting. As we focus on decreasing, we let go of pushing toward the exceptional and remarkable. We live redeemed and restored lives that are anything but ordinary because the Spirit dwells within us. We become less noticed, but Jesus’ fame grows. Jesus invites us to rest in His enoughness and live for His glory.

In Christ’s kingdom, ordinary faithfulness is extraordinary.

Next step: Try the three movies exercise I did at a writing conference. a) Name three favorite movies. b) Find a connecting theme. c) How does this theme reflect your life passion?

This post is an excerpt from my book Enough for Now: Unpacking God’s Sufficiency. It is used with permission from Concordia Publishing House.

Check out the book Enough for Now: Unpacking God’s Sufficiency which explores how we can find enough in God even when the world encourages us to search for more.

A study of the parable of the rich fool, it will help you discover:

  • enough money
  • enough stuff
  • enough food
  • enough relationships
  • enough time
  • enough of me

You can find out more about it here. And order it here and here!

Filed Under: Contentment Tagged With:
June 4, 2019

A Better Question Than “Does It Spark Joy?”

This post is an excerpt from my new book Enough for Now: Unpacking God’s Sufficiency. Learn better question than “Does it spark joy?”

“Oh, say can you see…” The toy in the backseat sang out the national anthem for the 101st time. We felt we would go crazy if we heard it 102 times.

It was Christmas time—that joyous season of consumerism. Three days before the non-stop recital of “The Star-Spangled Banner” my husband and I had packed up our four-year-old daughter and almost two-year-old son in our little fire-engine red Nissan Sentra to drive from our home in Illinois to see grandparents in Wisconsin.

Grandparents love to spoil their grandchildren and how could I limit their joy? But that year the abundance of gifts became overwhelming. It was the year my younger sister worked at a toy factory. She–and my parents–had the opportunity to buy quality wooden toys at factory discounts. Grandma and Grandpa bought my children wooden blocks, dominoes, train sets, and puzzles. One puzzle contained all fifty of the U.S. states and played the national anthem when the puzzle was completed. “How cute,” we thought when our daughter opened the gift.

But when the time came to go home, not all the toys would fit in the small Sentra trunk. So, we stacked the extras in the back seat between the car seats with the United States puzzle on the top of the pile. However, we didn’t realize the chip that played “The Star-Spangled Banner” was light sensitive and the puzzle piece that covered the chip had moved off in the shuffle of packing. Every time a semi passed us, its lights cued up the anthem. I couldn’t reach the puzzle from the front seat and the kids had fallen asleep so we didn’t want to stop. As much as we love our national anthem, we quickly grew tired of it. If a convoy of trucks zoomed by, the song would start over with each pair of headlights. “Oh say can you…Oh say can…Oh say…” It was the purgatory of patriotism.

While I vividly remember that United States puzzle, I also recall the sheer number of toys our children received that Christmas. When we finally got home, it took us days to find places to store them because, truthfully, the toy box was already full. We appreciated my parents’ generosity and our kids loved all the new playthings, but it became the beginning of too much stuff.

Many of us have an addiction to stuff. We want to buy it. We like to own it. We need to store it. Why do we feel this need for things? Part of this desire certainly stems from living in a materialistic society. Advertisements tell us that we deserve a better watch. That our loved ones will only appreciate us if they receive a diamond necklace. That our significance is entirely dependent on the type of car we drive.

And yet, the more stuff we have, the more it may actually weigh down our souls and our minds. Psychologists have found that unchecked clutter in our homes can lead to depression and anxiety. UCLA researchers discovered stress hormones spiked in the brains of mothers when they dealt with their belongings. Those stress chemicals (which often result from disorganization) eat up the beneficial chemicals in our brains that stabilize our emotions. Every single thing we own can add a heaviness to our tired soul.


Instead of “Does It Spark Joy?” Ask This Question

Most of us realize this burden of excess on our minds and souls. And yet we have trouble getting rid of our stuff. What to keep? What to discard? A very popular book titled The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (not a book I recommend, by the way) suggests holding up each item you own and asking yourself, “Does it spark joy?” This can be a useful question. Yes, my favorite gray cardigan sparks joy. It fits me well. It keeps me warm. It coordinates with many of my other clothes. On the other hand, the red satin top I bought to go with one of my blazers does not spark joy. It’s beautiful but didn’t actually work with the intended blazer and doesn’t look good with anything else I own. I should get rid of it, but I paid a lot of money for it and I feel I should wear it at least once. That item only sparks regret.

“Does it spark joy?” can be a practical assessment, but I would like to suggest an even better question would be, “How does this item affect my soul—does it draw me closer to the God of sufficiency or does it pull me away?” This question will require some careful thought. For instance, a classic car could be seen as something that pulls the owner away from God. It requires large sums of money and weekends filled with maintenance tasks. Working on the car could isolate the owner from his family and keep him from attending Sunday services. On the other hand, a pair of hiking boots could be seen as an item which draws the owner closer to God. When she wears the boots, she is experiencing nature and witnessing God’s glorious creation. Her heart fills with praise for the Lord of the universe.

But the opposite could be true as well. Perhaps the classic car owner uses the hours spent maintaining his vehicle as quality time with his son or daughter in their shared interest. Maybe he takes this prized possession to classic car shows designed to spark conversations about Jesus to the unchurched. And the owner of the hiking boots? Maybe she’s the one missing church every weekend to visit the great outdoors.

When you begin decluttering or before you purchase something new, determine how each item draws you closer to God or pulls you further away. Does the item weigh down your soul as one more thing to dust and clean? Or does it fill your heart with gratitude each time you see it? Does it pull you away from time with your heavenly Father? Or does it make life easier, giving you more time with the Savior? Is it a useful tool, saving you time or money that can be used for the Kingdom?

In Christ We Find Enough

In Luke 12:29-31, Jesus urges all of us:

And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

I read this and hear Jesus telling me:

You don’t have to act like the rest of the world, chasing after things to fill your soul. Rest in the fact that you have a Heavenly Father who sees you and knows exactly what you need. Trust Him in this. Don’t set your heart on material possessions, instead, seek out God’s kingdom—a kingdom where the size of your house or the price of your car has no relevance. I want you to be rich, but rich in things that matter: peace, joy, love. You can’t find these things in a grain elevator or a walk-in closet. They are only found in Me.

In Me you will find enough.

Next step: Next time you are decluttering a closet or considering a new purchase, ask yourself, “Does this item draw me closer to the God of sufficiency or does it pull me away?”

This post is an excerpt from my new book Enough for Now: Unpacking God’s Sufficiency. Reprinted with permission from Concordia Publishing House.

If you would like to learn more about finding enough, check out my brand new book Enough for Now: Unpacking God’s Sufficiency!

A study of the parable of the rich fool, it will help you discover:

  • enough money
  • enough stuff
  • enough food
  • enough relationships
  • enough time
  • enough of me

You can find out more about it here. And order it here and here!

Filed Under: Contentment
May 28, 2019

Finding Enough: A 7-Day Jump-Start to Decluttering Your Life

It’s easy to accumulate stuff. The pair of jeans that hasn’t fit since before baby number two. The bridesmaid dress you hate but paid “good money” for. The bread machine you never use. The yarn you bought but didn’t have time to knit. The toys your children no longer play with.

Of course, that’s just the stuff clogging your cupboards and closets. A lot more stuff probably clutters your life. Countless meetings and appointments, oodles of kids’ baseball practices and dance recitals fill up your calendar and crowd out your peace.

Even your mind and soul may seem cluttered. Disappointment, bitterness, and perfectionism can easily take up the space in our hearts that is meant for God’s grace, love, and joy.

Keeping and Tossing

King Solomon, the wisest man in history, wrote:

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven . . . a time to keep, and a time to cast away. (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 6)

I don’t know about you, but I do a lot more keeping than casting away. A few years ago, I discovered thrift stores. I find a thrill in the hunt of a bargain and especially love it when I come home with an arm-load of new-to-me fashions for only $20! If I were wise, I would toss out some old things even before I hang up these new items. But sometimes I find it difficult to let things go.

The same is true emotionally. I may hang on to grudges and bitterness over long-ago hurts. Sometimes I store up jealousy and envy. I don’t mean to–but I occasionally hang onto doubt and fear.

Sometimes I also find it hard to toss out anxiety. Worries for my children, my husband, my future may take up residence in my mind and refuse to leave. I should kick them out, but often I let them stay. Instead of accepting God’s invitation to give Him all my anxiety, I hang onto my concerns and try to figure them out on my own.

7-Day Jump-Start to Decluttering Your Life

If you can relate, my new resource is for you. Finding Enough: A 7-Day Jump-Start to Decluttering Your Life can help you reduce the clutter of your life. In the span of seven days, you will take a journey to cast out what is cluttering your closets, your schedule, and your minds. Each day, you’ll examine one area of your life and decide if it is time to keep or time to cast away. I won’t tell you what to hold on to or what to toss—that’s up to you. Some of the days, you will tackle a practical area of life like your home or schedule. Other days, we’ll delve into the cupboards of your soul to see if anything harmful or unnecessary is stored there.

Most of us have been amassing more and more for years or decades. Our culture tells us that we need more stuff, more goals, more activity to complete our happiness—and we’ve bought into this idea. But many of you have recognized this for the lie it is. And that’s why you’re here. You are ready to find enough.

Of course, seven days will probably not be sufficient time to completely declutter your life. Think of this span of time as a jumpstart. Seven days to begin to uncover the life you want and discover enough in what you already have. As you declutter your home, your heart, and your mind, you will make more room for the God of sufficiency–the only place where we will find enough.

O God of sufficiency, thank You for Your many blessings to me. I am blessed with many things—but right now, I realize I may have too many things. Give me wisdom to know what to keep and what to cast away. I don’t want my life to be ruled by my stuff. I want to be led by my love for You. Show me where my stuff or my activities or my attitudes are getting in the way of my relationship with You. Help me to remember that I will never be able to find enough in the things of this world. I can only find enough in You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Next step: If you would like this free resource and begin your own 7-day journey to a less cluttered life, fill out the form below to sign up for my monthly newsletter and receive Finding Enough: A 7-Day Jump-Start to Decluttering Your Life.

And if you would like to discover more about finding enough, check out my new book: Enough for Now: Unpacking the God of Sufficiency available here and here.

Filed Under: Contentment Tagged With:
May 24, 2019

What’s Your Decluttering Style?

For the past couple of years, I have been on a quest to declutter my home and my life. I have longed to find a life uncluttered with unnecessary possessions and obligations. A life with unhampered by destructive attitudes and mindsets. A life without the excess of our current culture.

I want a life not necessarily characterized by minimalism, but a life with “enough.”

This quest has led me to declutter my home. I’m not finished yet, but I’ve tackled my closet, my office, and my bookshelves.

In the process, I’ve researched how best to rid my home of the surplus stuff living in my closets and on my shelves. I’ve discovered that there are different modes of decluttering.

Declutter by Item

With this decluttering style, you will concentrate on one category of possessions at a time. For instance, take all your clothes out of the closets, drawers, and storage bins and sort through them. Which do you want to keep? Which can you toss? Or donate? You may recognize this as the Marie Kondo method of tidying. One disadvantage of this style is that it may make a big mess before you see progress. The advantage? You can see all that you own of that type of item and this may help you make decisions.

Declutter by Project

This decluttering style helps you organize specific areas of your home. Make a list of the cluttered spots like your bedroom dresser, the hall closet, the junk drawer in the kitchen. Get your sorting bins ready: Keep, Toss, and Donate and tackle one area at a time. One drawback of this style may be that it is difficult to see how many like items you have. But this method is easy to do in short pockets of time. It doesn’t require you to devote an entire afternoon to decluttering.

Declutter by Room

If you want to see a quick visible change to your home, you might consider decluttering by room. Take everything out of the room and sort by Keep, Toss, or Donate. Return the Keep items back into the room and toss or donate the rest. This organizing method will give you quick results that may keep you motivated. But it requires large chunks of time.

What decluttering style will work best for you?

I’ve created a quiz to help you find out. Click on the button below to access the quiz. Answer a few questions and you will discover which decluttering method suits you best!

And if you want to learn more about living with “enough,” check out my new book Enough for Now: Unpacking God’s Sufficiency.

To find out more about decluttering styles check out this post by Lady Decluttered.

Filed Under: Contentment
May 21, 2019

Do You Have A Broken Wanter?

This post is an excerpt from my new book Enough for Now: Unpacking God’s Sufficiency. Learn why you may have a broken “wanter.”

When I was growing up, the Frito-Lay commercial that interrupted my favorite television shows told me, “You can’t eat just one.” And it was true—one potato chip was never enough. I always wanted another—and another—and another.

This insatiable desire for more doesn’t stop with salty snacks. I’m convinced that ever since Adam and Eve gave in to an appetite for forbidden fruit and a thirst to be like God, we have been stuck with broken “wanters.” The part of us that hungers and thirsts and desires developed serious defects in the Fall. Now I possess a wanter that can make me crave a slice of decadent chocolate cheesecake even after I’ve had soup, salad, and an enormous platter of chicken marsala. A wanter that can make me long for those adorable red pumps in the shoe store window even though I have twenty-five pairs of shoes in the closet. Our broken wanters prevent us from attaining enough.

In fact, our wanters are so broken, we sometimes we have difficulty in discerning our true desires. Because of widespread damaged wanters, a new profession has sprung up. For only $300 an hour you can hire a wantologist—someone who will help you distinguish what you really want from what you only think you want. For instance, you might go to a wantology session with a wish for a promotion at work and leave with the realization that what you really want is to quit your job. Because of our broken wanters, we don’t know what will actually satisfy our souls. So, we continually search for the next bauble, the next promotion, the next relationship that promises happiness.

Even more serious, our broken wanters compel us to yearn for wrong things. Our damaged desire factories make us crave Rocky Road ice cream instead of broccoli. Sleep on Sunday mornings seems more appealing than worshipping with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Because of our sinful natures, we don’t gravitate toward the wholesome or the virtuous. We continually want more than what God has deemed good.

On our own, we are incapable of achieving enough.

Our heavenly Father must be saddened when we try to meet our needs with our own power. Perhaps He shakes His head when we strive and struggle to obtain the bigger house or the more important job. Satan continually attempts to get us to view God as a miser who reluctantly gives out good things. Or to believe we need to work extra hard to earn them. God wants us to view Him, not as the Big Bad Guy in the sky holding out on us, but as the God of sufficiency.

God makes us capable of longing so we come to Him to fill those longings. He makes us yearn for enough so we learn to trust Him for all we need and desire. Jesus said, “But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!” (Luke 12:28). He reproaches our puny faith. But He also invites us to have confidence in the Father who even dresses transitory grass in beautiful colors and feeds tiny, insignificant birds.

The solution to our broken wanters is running to the God of sufficiency.

Next step: Take a moment to write down some of your desires–big and small. Then meet with God and tell Him about these longings. Allow Him to satisfy them in His way and His time.

This post is an excerpt from my new book Enough for Now: Unpacking God’s Sufficiency. Reprinted with permission from Concordia Publishing House.

Check out my brand new book Enough for Now: Unpacking God’s Sufficiency!

A study of the parable of the rich fool, it will help you discover:

  • enough money
  • enough stuff
  • enough food
  • enough relationships
  • enough time
  • enough of me

You can find out more about it here. And order it here and here!

Filed Under: Contentment
May 14, 2019

To Find Enough: Reject the Myth That More Stuff Equals More Happiness

too often we believeamore stuff = more happiness

Why is contentment so difficult to attain? Why do we always want more? This post is part of a series on finding enough.

A while ago a local charity called and asked if I had any clothing or small household goods that I would like to donate.

Of course, I did.

In fact, I had just finished reorganizing my bookshelves, closets, and cabinets. On the day of the charity pickup, I set out four large boxes of books, two boxes of CDs and records (yes, I still had some old school technology), and five garbage bags of out-of-date clothes and no-longer-loved home accent pieces.

I was so happy to send these things to a new home, but there was one depressing thing about the process: Even after getting rid of all that stuff, my house did not look much different. My closet was still full. My bookshelves still held hundreds of books.

I still had a lot of stuff.

I am not the only one whose house is full of clothes, dishes, games, DVDs, books, and the occasional Nordic Track clothes rack. Judging by the more than 1700 books listed on Amazon on the subject of organizing clutter, there are a few other people who have trouble corralling their belongings. One might even make the case that Americans are addicted to stuff.

So why do we continue to accumulate things? Why do we feel the need to own more and more?

Because society and our human nature tell us this equation is true:

More Stuff = More Happiness.

Using that equation, our minds compute a subset of calculations: A new boat means fun outings on the lake. Money in the bank equals financial security. A big-screen TV means hours of enjoyable entertainment.

And if we buy more and save more and make more and still aren’t happy, we don’t question the equation. Instead, we assume we don’t have enough stuff. We believe that when we add to the amount on the left side of the equation, the right side will also increase.

Because of this we never seem to have enough. Many studies have been done on how much money it takes to make someone feel wealthy and the results have been surprisingly consistent. Almost everyone feels that they would have enough if they had just twice what they have now. The worker making $40,000 would feel rich if he made $80,000. The person with two million dollars in the bank would feel he had enough if he had four million.

We think more will make us happier. And so, we never have enough.

But let’s reject that equation. Because it isn’t true.

Sure, getting the new handbag you’ve been saving for may bring a thrill at first. But it is sure to get scuffed or dirty. Or you see your friend’s new bag and wish you had seen that one first. Suddenly, what you have does not bring happiness.

The author of Hebrews wrote:

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5

We could also say, “Keep your life free from the love of handbags, shoes, home decor, or whatever else you are basing your happiness on. Be content with what you have. Getting more does not guarantee happiness. But God’s presence and joy is a sure thing.”

Getting more does not guarantee happiness. But God's presence and joy is a sure thing. Click To Tweet

Next step: When you find yourself falling for the lie that more stuff equals more happiness, recognize it for the myth that it is. Rest in God’s presence. Ask Him for contentment for what you have.

If you would like to learn more about finding enough, check out my brand new book Enough for Now: Unpacking God’s Sufficiency! 

A study of the parable of the rich fool, it will help you discover:

  • enough money
  • enough stuff
  • enough food
  • enough relationships
  • enough time
  • enough of me

You can find out more about it here. And order it here and here!

Filed Under: Bible Study, Contentment Tagged With: , ,
May 7, 2019

To Find Enough: Go to the God of Suffiency

God makes us capable of longing so that we come to Him to fill those longings.

Why is contentment so difficult to attain? Why do we always want more? This post is part of a series on finding enough.

When my husband, John, and I were first married, our vehicle was a used Dodge Polara–nicknamed the tuna boat. It was a huge car and not very attractive. But it got us where we needed to go–with the help of my husband’s fix-it skills.

At one point, the Polara needed a new fuel pump. John called the local junkyard and the person on the other end of the line assured John that he had the needed part. So John drove all the way out to the junkyard only to find that, no, there were no fuel pumps for Dodge Polaras. He ended up going to a car parts store much nearer to our apartment in order to find what the necessary piece to fix the car.

The junkyard was not the right place to find what we needed–even though John had been assured that it was.

Where to Find Enough

Life is like that too. We search and search for what will make our hearts happy and our lives fulfilled. Satan whispers in our ear that we will find it in getting a new sweater or a new car or a new husband. Too often we listen to his lies only to find that we have been looking in the wrong place for satisfaction. Even Satan knows that the only place to find enough is in the God of sufficiency. But to keep us from going to the True Source, he keeps misdirecting us.

Jesus tells us the right place to go to find the fulfillment of our needs. He told His disciples:

Don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.

So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom. Luke 12:29-32

Jesus reminded His followers that they didn’t need to worry about food or clothing because the Father promised to look after their needs. Just as God cared for the grass waving in the fields and birds nesting in the trees, He would provide for them too.

Jesus tells all of us: “Look, you don’t have to be like the rest of the world chasing after things in the hope that possessions or positions will fill the emptiness inside. Live in trust that I know what you need. You are a part of my flock, you are following me. But like sheep, you don’t know what you need as well as your Shepherd does. Remember Your Father is a loving parent who takes great happiness in giving you the kingdom.”

Yearning for Enough

God makes us capable of longing so that we come to Him to fill those longings. He makes us yearn for enough so that we learn to trust Him for all that we need and desire. Jesus said, “But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!” (Luke 12:28). He reproaches our puny faith. But He also invites us to have confidence in the Father who even dresses transitory grass in beautiful colors and feeds tiny, insignificant birds.

God makes us capable of longing so that we come to Him to fill those longings. Click To Tweet

My husband listened to a salesman’s words and went to the wrong place to find what he needed. In the same way, we can listen to Satan’s lies and later find that we have been looking for contentment in the wrong places. Or we can go to the God of sufficiency and trust that whatever He gives us is enough.

Next step: What lies has Satan been telling you lately? Where have you been trying to find enough–only to discover it is the wrong place. Bring all your longings to the God of sufficiency.

If you would like to learn more about finding enough, check out my brand new book Enough for Now: Unpacking God’s Sufficiency!

A study of the parable of the rich fool, it will help you discover:

  • enough money
  • enough stuff
  • enough food
  • enough relationships
  • enough time
  • enough of me

You can find out more about it here. And order it here and here!

Filed Under: Bible Study, Contentment
« Previous Page
Next Page »