Are you a hoarder?
I don’t think I would consider myself a hoarder –but my kids might.
It’s not that you can’t navigate your way through my house, maybe with the exception of my “Alamo Room,” and maybe my garage. Other than those two rooms, you can get through my house easy enough.
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So, while I don’t consider myself a hoarder, maybe I am, at least a little bit. Ok, maybe a lot.
There are shows on TV that help people not to hoard. These shows color hoarding as a bad thing. I don’t need television to tell me hoarding isn’t a good thing–the Bible tells me so.
You probably weren’t even aware that hoarding is in the Bible. I’m not sure why I looked for it, but when I did, I found hoarding, or a form of it mentioned four times in my New International Version of the Bible.
And none of the references are favorable.
The first is found in Proverbs 11:26. It reads: “People curse the one who hoards grain, but they pray God’s blessing on the one who is willing to sell.”
People who grow grain or any other agricultural product can do with it what they want. They can sell it for today’s price, or they can wait and hope the market is more favorable to them tomorrow. But they need to be made aware that by selling it tomorrow or the next day they could be harming their neighbors. Maybe it will harm them, and maybe not. But there is a price to pay that maybe only God knows.
While searching the Internet, I found a good story that might relate to what I’m trying to say.
It was told by Bill Edgar, the former president of Geneva College, and a longtime pastor.
His great-great grandfather was a farmer in upstate New York. One year a drought made hay prices higher than the year before. But the farmer sold his hay to his usual customer for the normal price, rather than gouge him with a higher rate. The customer never forgot the generosity of the farmer. Several years later when the farmer’s son went off to school the customer ordered, more than told, his sons to protect John Coleman’s son, who was small for his age. It was a blessing for both father and son.
John Coleman had no idea that his generosity would be rewarded.
But it was.
Likewise, we have no idea whether our generosity will be rewarded when we do what we deem the right thing. Yes, a farmer can charge whatever they want, but sometimes it comes back to you, both good and bad.
But know this, people curse the one who hoards grain, but pray God’s blessing on those willing to sell at a fair price.
Ecclesiastes 5:13 tells us wealth hoarded does so to the harm of the owner; Isaiah 23:18 tells us that those who don’t hoard their wealth, their profits will go toward abundant food and fine clothes; and James 5:3 tells us if you hoarded wealth in the last days your gold or silver will be corroded and eat your flesh like fire.
No, hoarding is definitely not good thing to do.
The website, “gotquestions.org” had much to say about compulsive hoarding. Research into compulsive hoarding is a relatively new field. It used to be considered a form of ObsessiveCompulsive Disorder but is now considered its own disorder.
“It should be noted that compulsive hoarding is different from collecting,” the site noted. “It has been suggested that compulsive hoarding often starts in the teen years, perhaps demonstrated through excessive clutter and trouble getting rid of things.”
The site added, compulsive hoarders gather random items, like junk mail, magazines, newspapers and trash. Collectors have a reason for the things they collect.
“As the disorder progresses, the hoarder garners more items for which there is no need and little or no space,” the site added. “Those with more severe forms of compulsive hoarding will likely need more intensive emotional healing. It could also be that medication may be of help.”
For believers, the best treatment plan is working with a biblical counselor to help them understand their own personal values and how they process emotions. Walking more closely with Jesus is imperative.
“God is ultimately the only One in whom our anxieties can be resolved, and our needs can be met,” the site added. “Only He can provide complete healing. Working with a professional organizer to help discard unnecessary items from the current hoard, and provide a plan to not let it get out of hand again can also be helpful.
“The underlying cause of hoarding is our human tendency to want things and our inability to discern what is truly valuable.”
Trusting in Jesus means we don’t rely on ourselves to meet our needs or satisfy our souls, it concluded. Jesus called Himself the bread of life and that we don’t need be spiritually hungry or thirsty ever again.
Rick Reed is a columnist for The Daily Commercial, to reach Rick, e-mail him at ricoh007@aol.com. And if you can’t get enough Rick Reed, read his blog at rickreed.co.
