Sometimes I need a little reminder of what is important in life. Selling Shannan's Impala SS did not rock my world, but the emotional pang from seller's remorse was like hitting a big speed bump. I felt it . . . maybe more than I should have. It is interesting to see what a hold "stuff" can have on my life.
Dale S. Kuhne puts stuff in perspective in this insightful comment from his book, Sex and the iWorld:
Imagine your ideal car. Drive your ideal car for three years. Is it still your ideal car? Imagine your ideal house. Live in your ideal house for three years. Is it still your ideal house? We could go on with any object we possess or wish to possess. Will any of this, once we acquire and consume it, provide us with the happiness for which we yearn? No. As much as we may operate with these assumptions, we will never actually find the happiness for which we strive in the things we possess. We invariably grow tired of what we have and want more and different possessions. Yet ultimately we will tire of everything we acquire. In the pursuit of happiness, materialism is a dead end. Why? Aristotle understands that there is no material thing we can desire that won’t eventually bore us if we possess it. Hence, if we wish to live a fulfilling life, the quality of our relationships matters much more than our standard of living. Sex and the iWorld, Dale S. Kuehne
We were made for relationships -- with God and with people. Sure, stuff satisfies for a little while, but eventually it dings, dents, scratches, and breaks. It gets misplaced. It gets lost. It gets old. Stuff, whether it rides on four wheels or is contained within four walls, can never satisfy. We were meant to enjoy it, not live for it. That stab of regret was just my heart monitor going off, a reminder to keep my eyes on what matters.
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.... Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. 1 Timothy 6:6-8, 17-19 ESV
Jesus is life. People are treasures. The rest is just stuff.