Standards of Living: Is It Worth The Cost?
We all have one.
We pour ourselves into our work. We pour ourselves into finding the best deal. We pour ourselves into keeping up with those who are around us. Our friends. Our family. Our neighbors. Our culture. We pour ourselves out until we have nothing left. Nothing.
This is what I call a standard of living.
What does yours look like? How would you define your standard of living?
According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, “standard of living” is defined as:
” the necessities, comforts, and luxuries enjoyed or aspired to by an individual or group; a minimum of necessities, comforts, or luxuries held essential to maintaining a person or group in customary or proper status or circumstances”
This is where we might struggle. This is where we end up living the life we really don’t want to be living. This is when we find ourselves caught in a standard, finding it hard to escape.
Standards are something to live UP to. Standards are something to strive for and obey. Standards, when it comes to living, are not worth it in the materialistic world.
Take a look at your life. Think about how you spend your money. Think about what you spend your time doing. Think about the life you REALLY want to be living.
Seriously. Disregard for 10 minutes, the life you live. Forget what it would take. Dream about the life you REALLY want. Maybe it’s a life of less stuff. Maybe it’s a debt free life. Maybe it’s a life without worrying about what others think. Maybe it’s a life of contentment. Whatever it may be, make a list.
Here are a few of mine (not my complete list):
- Use more natural resources, like use less processed foods. Would love to try living off the grid someday!
- Not be consumed by technology – don’t want technology to control me. I want to walk away from it if I can and not be tied to it.
- Start my mornings off with a quiet time to do my devotions and spend time with God.
- Be debt free – this means paying off our mortgage. I do not want ANY other debt!
- Always stop and think before I buy something
- Be an example in life
- Don’t set standards of how to live by looking at other’s lives, but looking to God.
It is my faith in God that drives me to live the life I live. I find more peace and contentment following the principles of the Bible than I do following the ways of the world. It is just that simple. Always looking at other’s lives, makes me so incredibly discontent. I start stressing. I start thinking that we need to make more money. I start thinking that how we are living “isn’t right” because we don’t make a certain amount. I find though, that when I am content with how much we make, that contentment flows into other areas of our life as well.
Why do I waste away minutes of my life, thinking about how others live? It is a wasted life. In the definition, it says a standard of living means maintaining a proper status. What is the “proper status”? Each and every one of us defines this “proper status” differently. Therefore, it is impossible to live up to a certain standard of living.
So why do we literally spend our life TRYING? Trying to live up to this standard we will NEVER meet? Think about what you have bought in the process, trying to live up. Think about the time you have wasted. Think about how your home is filled with items, in attempts to live up to this standard.
I encourage you to keep the list that you made, close to you. I have to daily remind myself of the life I want to live – a life lived for my Savior. In Christ, I am not judged by what I own. I am not judged by what I look like. I am not judged by what I do not have. What matters is what kind of a steward I am with what He has given me. Whether it be money, possessions, or gifts.
How are you living YOUR life? What standard are you living up to?
Is it worth the cost?
Well said Kristin! I love your blog, I happened upon thru Pinterest back in January and have been reading it ever since. I was looking for organization ideas and hit the jackpot with your blog! I have gone thru almost every room in my house and purged so much stuff. It is so liberating! Your standards of living list is very similar to what I mine is. It is so very hard to do sometimes, especially in this fast paced world we live in. Keep up the good work.
God Bless.
Luann
Thank you so much Luann! Your words really mean a lot and I am so glad that you've been able to personalize some of the posts as well. Like you said, it is incredibly liberating and going through every room is truly worth the time. You may find that you can't stop :). It is a daily choice to live the life we do, but we serve a much greater purpose than what possessions can do for us – serving our Savior! Thanks again Luann and God bless YOU!
Kristin, one of the beauties of getting older is that you really don't worry about what others think. I recently went to lunch and a movie with a new friend. She was very complimentary about my car (an 11-year-old Explorer). She was surprised to find out how old it is because it's in such good shape. I believe we are stewards of the things God has given us. Good maintenance and proper cosmetic care has certainly paid off for us!
Mary, I have often thought that…and slowly seeing that come true. Sometimes I could care less about how old my clothes are – wow, back in the day? Different story. I had to chuckle a little because we also drive a 12 year old Explorer :). Those vehicles ROCK! We had one totaled in a tornado (while we were in it) and turned around a bought the exact same thing (just different color) with the money from insurance! I so agree that we are called to be stewards of the gifts God has given us (which is everything). Thank you so much for your words of wisdom as always Mary! Much appreciated! Would love to sit across the table with you someday over coffee :)!