THE TYRANNY OF TRIFLES.

For News Review, August 8, 1992 by Glenn Smouse, Chaplain McMinnville Community Hospital.

     Most of us are too much concerned about too little. The curse of our lives is that we have too much 'stuff.' We spend so much of our time concerned about the 'stuff' that we no longer have time for that which is important. Richard Foster, in a fine book, Celebration of Discipline, writes, "De-accumulate! Masses of things that are not needed complicate life. They must be sorted and stored and dusted and re-sorted and re-stored ad nauseum.  Most of us could rid of half our possessions without any serious sacrifice."
     Jesus had very little 'stuff.'   He said that he didn't have a regular sleeping place.  Yet his life stands out above all others as an example of success and contentment.  Small wonder that he would say to his followers,  "Seek first God's kingdom and righteousness and all these things (the 'stuff") will be given to you.  The difference is that with this outlook and lifestyle the 'stuff' will no longer control us and we will be able to give our lives to the service of God and others.  Then and only then can we escape the tyranny of trifles.