Proverbs 14:30-31

30: “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.”

31: “He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.”

As I help people get their finances in order, I cast vision as to “how things could be” IF “they would just do this, this, and that.”  Many times this involves selling some stuff – cars, boats, motorcycles, houses!  I want people to have nice stuff, but many times the nice stuff is eating up 50% of their budget OR MORE.  People just will not win with expenses like that!

As I cast vision, it is not unusual for me to say, “If you sell the two cars and buy two used cars, you could be debt-free except for the house in 12 months.  If you choose to keep the cars, you may be debt-free in 60 months.” Or I might say, “If you sell the boat and motorcycle, you could be debt-free immediately.  If you keep the boat and motorcycle, you may be debt-free in 72 months.”

When I mention selling some stuff, I begin encountering resistance!  This is their stuff!  They love their stuff!  They bought this stuff, and they want to keep it.  Even when it is eating them alive financially!  Even when they are not able to give one thin dime and are not assisting others at all!

As I go through meetings like this, I see that God’s word is true.  Proverbs 14:30 says that “envy rots the bones”.  When people have a bad case of stuff-itis, it is usually a result of envy.  They saw someone else with that item, and they wanted one too.  The difference is that they could not afford it.  The verse also says that “a heart at peace gives life to the body.”  When stuff-itis is cured, WOW!  The peace is awesome!  Knowing you could go to the store and buy anything in there, but not doing it because you really don’t need anything.  I am telling you it is AWESOME!  Jenn and I have been vaccinated against stuff-itis, and it feels good!

Proverbs 14:31 says that “whoever is kind to the needy honors God.”  I guess that is why it pains me so deeply in my soul when I see people up to their eyeballs in debt with a bad case of stuff-itis.  They are so loaded up with their own wants that they do not even see the the needy, let alone help them.

The solution?  Get a vaccination against stuff-itis!

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2 Comments

  1. Lynn Litchfield on June 26, 2012 at 12:54 pm

    You are “dead on” with this one!! Stuffitis is rampant in our country – and a growing concern for me as a parent trying to teach my girls that “stuff” is not important to God. The media – especially advertising everywhere – turns our heads and brain-washes us to think that we HAVE to have __________ (what ever they’re advertising – from food to clothes to cars). It’s a tough thing to have your kids be “the only ones” without the latest electronic gadget, without that latest fad in clothes, etc. It’s our responsibility to refocus them on God’s desires – service and help to others. If we can show them the connection between “I didn’t buy this today, so I’m going to put the money towards that next service project”, we’ve moved a step ahead – both spiritually and with financial responsibility – God’s way.



  2. RobS on June 26, 2012 at 7:24 pm

    Good post. Scarcity isn’t the problem in America, that’s for sure. I’ll confess one thing that pains me… is that many times the “needy” are often making very bad decisions (“I’m calling from my cell phone picking up some food at Red Lobster” was the latest message on my machine from someone on government assistance that my wife is helping). So, I try to encourage myself, and at the same time, battle against a feeling of apathy that tells me, “the needy are sometimes knuckleheads!”

    Still… pressing on… 🙂



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