How can I lose interest in material things ?

Question

The more we have of material things the more we want and the greedier we become . I don't want any part of that . Being humble is always considering others before yourself . This requires faith in God to provide for you, letting go of everything that I possess, so that by being free of material things I can own all things . As long as I’m tied to the things of this world I’ll never know true humility because these material things will keep me busy tending to them . How can I get over buying new belongings ? Do I make a rule that says "Don't buy any new material things ?" . How can I get to where II don't depend on material things for happiness ? What do I do with myself after I give up collecting material things ? How can I get spiritually ready to get rid of my belongings ?

Answer 1

I don't know how I lost interest in material things, I always assumed I just outgrew it (and I'm atheist).

Answer 2

One of the greatest learning experiences of my life in this regard was when I lived in Venezuela for two years on a mission.

Most people lived in mud brick houses with corrugated tin roofs and dirt floors. Some of the more well off people had tile laid out on top of the dirt.

Bathrooms consisted of a hole in the ground surrounded by a tarp or more corrugated tin. The hole usually led to a small gutter that would run down the side of the community along the side of the walkway and end up in the closest black river.

The average income was about $30 a month and the staple diet was made up of rice, beans, and corn flour cakes. These foods were supplemented with what ever could be grown or harvested from the mountains.

All that being said, these people were the humblest, kindest, most beautiful people I have had the blessing to be around in my life. There was never a word of complaint nor a single person who was not willing to give you their last bowl of rice without a moments hesitation.

Their hearts were so full that just being alive made them happy. I went out on the street one day as an experiment and started clapping my hands. Within a minute I had 6 or 7 people dancing! I doubt you could do that in America and get the same response.

As Christ said, how blessed are those who are compelled to be humble, and how much more blessed are those who humble themselves without having to be compelled.

My advice would be to immerse yourself with those who are humble and it may rub off a little.

Answer 3

"How can I get over buying new belongings ? Do I make a rule that says "Don't buy any new material things ?" . How can I get to where II don't depend on material things for happiness ? What do I do with myself after I give up collecting material things ? How can I get spiritually ready to get rid of my belongings ? "

The answer is in the questions..."I". As long as you belief yourself to be an individual "I" (ego) that can gain and loose...you can not be truly humble. An ego can only fake it.

Surrender this "I" (ego) to God...fully and completely. He will take care of the rest.

~ Eric Putkonen

Answer 4

We learn by doing. We can speculate about what is really important to us and what is merely distracting, but without experience, we really don't know. Try living without something "important" for a week, a month, or maybe a year. You will probably find it very inconvenient for a while, but eventually you will find that the loss frees you to do something better.

Try it again with something else. The more you give up, the less you can do yourself and the more dependent you become on others. That's the point. We keep thinking self-sufficiency is a way of respecting others and not constantly bothering them for favors. But that's what relationships are, a tangled web of favors and obligations that keeps us bound together. The very foreignness of "asking favors" can lead many people into abusive situations because they don't understand it. By being open to possibility, learning to make do with what is available, and not constantly trying to buy your way out of inconvenience, you can hush those voices in your head.

Turn off the TV. Stop reading style magazines. Hang out with people who already get by on less. You'll learn.

Answer 5

We're human therefore we can never 'lose' interest in material things. We can, however, 'diminish' the feeling of 'needing' unnecessary things by realizing that material things are only temporary and that no matter how much you got or how much you buy, it'll never make you happy/fulfilled/humble. We're human and as such, we do need food, hygienic supplies etc. to keep ourselves healthy and clean. Therefore, you don't need to 'not buy any new things'...just ask yourself...can I do without this? do I really need this? You'll find that most of the times the answer will be 'nah, its just a 'want' not a 'need'

Answer 6

Start giving it away on Freecycle.com or selling it on eBay if you need the change; if you don't, donate the sales proceeds to charity. Freecycle.com can become like a game - see how much stuff you can get rid of in an X # of days.

Volunteer to help disadvantaged people. Check out charity organizations that often need stuff like old computers, suitcases, clothes, desks, etc.

Have a tub by the door that you have to fill up once a week for items to donate or to recycle or to throw away.

Move into a smaller space. :) I've brutally whittled down my stuff simply by moving to a smaller apartment/house.

The first step is the hardest. Once you have a pristine, zen-like environment, you want to keep it that way.

Answer 7

Get rid of them all,Then when you feel like you have to buy something ask yourself, Do I really need this or can I make do with what I have? That goes for anything from your house down to the socks you put on. If your really honest with youself I would say probably more times than not your going to put It back.Unfortunately I don't think you'll be able to do the first thing on this list. GOOD LUCK!!

Answer 8

Materialism is a desire of the flesh.
Its obvious theres no meaning here really
I think many of us has been down this road.
If we see something good in the horizon and know its there and we walk towards it,
hey what do you know we are leaving something behind.

Wouldnt put much emphasis on what I own.
Just knowing this habit is bad is a hurdle already jumped god bless you for that.
God gave us all talents of joy, peace, love,
understanding, etc... if you think about it
the real meaning of life is knowing our talent
and applying it.
The most fullfilling thing on this planet is knowing what gods purpose is for us.
By executing our talents and shaping our
lives around what really makes us happy.

Seek god seek your purpose.

Answer 9

Go and visit a poor country...and live there for some time. Eat where the people there eat...sleep where they sleep, work where they work. You will very soon come to appreciate the really important things of life and you will know that the material things are NOT important!

Answer 10

you don't need to lose an interest in material things..you just need to keep materiality in perspective. knowing that spiritual/rightousness is more important that materialism is a great start.

I suggest you read the bible, starting in John and going to Romans. But, that's cuz I a Christian.

Answer 11

Find out what the attachment "is" to the objects. The attachment occurs inside. The mind becomes attached and then causes you to suffer loss because of it. It takes some watching the mind to discover all the tricks it has been playing on you.