“You know what? I really love buying things. It makes me feel good. Powerful even,” I told Jonathan a couple weeks ago.

“That’s concerning,” he said, as he gave me a somewhat suspicious look.

 It was this conversation that sparked my rule for January. And when I say “rule” I mean that quite literally. Although I may have sparked some concern on my husband’s part, this is my rule enforced only by yours truly.

So what’s the rule?

I cannot buy anything for myself or my home this month, save the obvious food or necessities.
Necessities include such things as toilet paper and toothpaste and exclude things like books, clothes, nail polish, candles, target home decor items, random thrift store finds (such as this one), etc.

In addition, I cannot spend gift cards or any other credit to acquire such items.

Why?

It’s actually not about money. Which is why I inserted the bit about not using gift cards or credits.

It’s all about my desire for stuff. Because the more I get, the more I want. That’s not a money issue; it’s a heart one. As raw as that sounds, it’s really why I decided to put this rule in place for January. Some people do a detox from certain foods. I’m doing a detox from stuff.

I realize that saying “no” to more stuff for 1 month out of my life isn’t a guarantee that my heart will change. But just like a detox, I think it will reveal how addicted I am to stuff. I think it might help me realize that sometimes my joy doesn’t come from Christ, but actually from clothes. Or shoes. Or home decor. Or books. Or any of the other things I buy.

Right now, I look at what I have and my heart screams, “MORE! BETTER! NEWER!”
I want to be able to look at my life and say “Enough.”

Because at the very bottom of it all, I do have enough – not because of what I own but because of Who owns me.

But let’s face it: I’ve got a lot of extra stuff too. Time to purge. Time to stop buying. Time to say  E N O U G H.

How about you? Any goals, challenges, or dreams you’re striving for in 2016?
I’d love to hear about it in the comments. Or join the community here!