Ecclesiastes 4:6
"Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit."
I remember going to visit my grandparents when I was a young boy. Neither set of grandparents had a lavish home. I remember visiting my mother's parents in Illinois. My grandmother did not have a big home. I believe she had a two bedroom house, and the porch was converted into another room in which to sleep when we came to visit. Her simple home was nothing you would look back to and wish you could have, but the one thing that stands out in my mind is that she was happy.
My father's parents also had a very small home. They lived in a small town in Shelby, Indiana. Their home was a three bedroom home, but two of the three bedrooms were nothing more than an oversized closet. They lived in that home for several decades and seemed to be very happy living there.
When I look back to both sets of grandparents, I see they did not have big homes or lavish possessions, but what they did have was happiness. I believe their happiness came from living a simple life. They didn't feel they needed all the updated technologies or possessions that others had. Though they didn't have a lot of possessions, their simple life did give them happiness.
The verse above says, "Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit." One of the things many miss in life is the happiness that a simple life brings. You can have your hands full with every possession the world offers, and have all the newest technological gadgets, but if you don't have happiness, you are a very poor person. Too many people get caught up in making their life complex by having to have more, thus they bring strife and discontent into their homes. You will always find that those who tend to live a more simple life will normally have a happier life because they don't have to squabble over "things."
You would be wise not to get caught up in the status game. Be careful that you don't purchase a home that is truly too big for your family. I'm not against bigger homes, but I do feel that sometimes we purchase homes that are too big, and the price of those homes force husband and wife to have to work to pay the bills. Always remember when you purchase a home that eventually your children will be gone. Don't think that you have to have a bigger home just to stay up with someone else.
Furthermore, be careful about falling into the trap of always having to get some gadget or technological device that someone else has. Most of us have, at one time or another, gotten something we really didn't need, and ended up selling it in a yard sale. Learn to wait a while before going out and buying something that someone else has. You will find that many times you really don't need it.
Christian, there is nothing wrong with having things, but don't fall into the trap of having to have something because someone else has it, or getting something for the sake of status. Live within your means. When you learn to keep your life simple, you will find true happiness is easier to obtain.