100 Thing Challenge

He had to make decisions on which of his possessions he would keep and which he would give up for a year.

Jeremiah 10:1-25

Reference:  v.15  They are worthless, the objects of mockery; when their judgment comes, they will perish. (NIV Bible)

Explore:  I recently read about a guynameddave, Dave Bruno.  He decided, in a stand against American consumerism, that he would live for one year with only 100 items.  He called it the 100 Thing Challenge and had to make decisions on which of his possessions he would keep and which he would give up for a year.  How do you think you would survive?  100 things sounds like a lot of items to begin with but once you start listing off a few ‘necessities’ it really limits your options.  From the opulence of Toorak to the slums of Manila, I have experienced consumerism everywhere.  We all seem to put so much faith and desire in to things that will only give us fleeting pleasure and will, at some stage, either break or decay.

Application:  Our possessions, or the things we are working towards owning, can become like a god to us.  We desire them so much that we place them first in our hearts.  And yet, if we compare our most loved possession to our mighty God there really shouldn’t be any competition.  The Israelites would take something that God had created (some wood from a tree) and carve it into an image and worship that itself.  It’s like someone serving you up the most wonderful meal and you go in to the kitchen and thank the frying pan rather than thanking the cook.  And yet, if we truly believe that God has created all things then why is it that we put so much emphasis on our possessions rather than the God who brought all things into being?  Maybe we all need to take up Dave Bruno’s 100 Thing Challenge.  Maybe it’s time for us to reassess what we perceive as important and look to the One who is important.

Prayer:  Lord, You are the original Creator and You continue to bring things into being.  Open my eyes to the things that are truly important and not just the items that make me feel more comfortable.  Amen.

What would you choose as your 100 things if you tried the challenge?

Jeremiah, possessions