Renovation Envy
Hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances, ceramic tile floors, finished basements, leather furniture, stimulating wall colors, coordinated drapes, eye-catching wall hangings, granite counter tops... A few things that are causing me to experience a bout of envy.
During the last couple of months I have had the honor being a guest in several of my friends' homes. I can't help but gaze at their decor and compare it to our idiosyncratic collection of mismatched things in our home. There are days when I wish I could rip this out and replace it with that. Other days I stand in our chilly concrete basement and dream of how it could look if it were finished. It also doesn't help that our neighbor is renovating. I have heard the pounding of hammers. I have seen rolls of discarded carpet. I can almost smell the fresh paint. Must be nice.
But, it is just a bunch of things. Things that will fade, break, and decay. Things that will need to be cyclically replaced, over and over again. Things that will drain my pocket book. It is so easy to be seduced by things.
I also tried to find meaning by building huge homes for myself and by planting beautiful vineyards. I made gardens and parks, filling them with all kinds of fruit trees. I built reservoirs to collect the water to irrigate my many flourishing groves... But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere. King Solomon, Ecclesiastes 2:4-6,11
I'm not against maintaining your space and transforming it into a pleasurable place to live. But I do not want to be caught in the trap of materialistic discontent. I do not want to be driven by the amassment of stuff. Instead, I desire Matthew 6:19-21 to be my renovation mantra:
Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
It will be challenge, however. There are certain objects that I do desire to have in my space. But, maybe I need to sacrifice the desire for some earthly items for an investment in eternity. I will need Godly wisdom in battling my renovation envy.
During the last couple of months I have had the honor being a guest in several of my friends' homes. I can't help but gaze at their decor and compare it to our idiosyncratic collection of mismatched things in our home. There are days when I wish I could rip this out and replace it with that. Other days I stand in our chilly concrete basement and dream of how it could look if it were finished. It also doesn't help that our neighbor is renovating. I have heard the pounding of hammers. I have seen rolls of discarded carpet. I can almost smell the fresh paint. Must be nice.
But, it is just a bunch of things. Things that will fade, break, and decay. Things that will need to be cyclically replaced, over and over again. Things that will drain my pocket book. It is so easy to be seduced by things.
I also tried to find meaning by building huge homes for myself and by planting beautiful vineyards. I made gardens and parks, filling them with all kinds of fruit trees. I built reservoirs to collect the water to irrigate my many flourishing groves... But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere. King Solomon, Ecclesiastes 2:4-6,11
I'm not against maintaining your space and transforming it into a pleasurable place to live. But I do not want to be caught in the trap of materialistic discontent. I do not want to be driven by the amassment of stuff. Instead, I desire Matthew 6:19-21 to be my renovation mantra:
Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
It will be challenge, however. There are certain objects that I do desire to have in my space. But, maybe I need to sacrifice the desire for some earthly items for an investment in eternity. I will need Godly wisdom in battling my renovation envy.