Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“And he said to them, ‘Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.’”
NL Daily Devotion for Wednesday, March 12, 2025
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
In 2020, I moved out of my house in 3 hours, and it was one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I mean, the realities of divorce notwithstanding, of course. But I have to say that with the help of about five friends, three big cars and one trailer, I whittled down my worldly possessions into what we could move into a tiny (4’x8’) storage unit and two bedrooms at my parents’ house (my son came with me). Since then, I have had to purchase a few things (a bed, for one) and now I know that my possessions could not fit into those same few vehicles. But that being said, I would never fill even a small moving van, and I hope I never do. It helps that I recently fell madly in love with a minimalist and we are planning to move in together into whatever place we can afford, which may not fit even the small amount of “stuff” we both have, and we will have another opportunity to decide what’s really necessary to live a happy and rich life. And, of course, the answer is “almost nothing.” Still we will enjoy an abundance far beyond what most of the world’s population has, and there are so many who live with so much less and are still happy.
Bottom line: my life does not consist in the abundance of possessions, and I am so grateful for this. There is a beautiful, intense freedom in wanting what you have, rather than in getting “stuff.”
How much do I actually need in order to have a fulfilling life?
