Commercials and Advertisements. We all say we hate them, but if we’re being honest, they work. They make us want things we are perfectly happy without.. and to feel better about buying those things we convince ourselves we need them. We tell ourselves, “this will make me happy” or “owning this will make life so much easier.”

Take my Hydroflask for example. “Used in every product we make, TempShield™ is our double wall, vacuum insulated technology that guards the temperature of your drink. Bring ice water with you in the morning, and we promise you’ll still have ice in the afternoon!” …Pretty cool right??

But the thing is, I already had two other water bottles. Not as hi-tech as the Hydroflask, but they got the job done. In fact, I don’t even mind lukewarm water. So why did I buy it? Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with owning a super-cool water bottle. But I didn’t need it.

Take a look at the parable of the rich man found in Luke 18. He seemed like a decent guy. He didn’t commit adultery, murder, steal, give false testimony, or dishonor his parents. Now check this out:

²² When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” ²³ When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. ²⁴ Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵ Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

Yikes. This guy was pretty attached to his stuff.

Now take a minute to think about your possessions. If everything you own were taken away in an instant, would you still praise Jesus and follow Him wholeheartedly?

If not, maybe it’s time to take inventory… Because it’s really not about the stuff. It’s about the heart.

I’m not going to tell you God wants you to sell everything you own. But I can tell you this: God calls us to a life of simplicity. A life lived with our treasures stored in heaven, not here on earth. A life so focused on him that we don’t have the time or energy to live with this “excess” the world tells us we need.

I went on a mission trip to Haiti once. I went into it thinking I was going make a difference in the lives of the people there. And maybe I made a small impact, but what really changed was me. You see, the people in Haiti don’t have much. The littlest thing brings them joy. I want to live that way. I want to own less to make room for more. More of Jesus.

Look at this little toad and I. I loved toads as a kid. I didn’t need the latest and greatest toad-catching technology or some super cool aquarium to put him in. That’d just be distracting. It would take my focus away from the actual thing that was bringing me joy.

I have found it to be the same with Jesus. True joy is found in Him alone, not in the excess.