How to be content

I've been doing a Bible Study on contentment. You know its so true that there is always something out there that we "need". And it is very hard to be content in our society of consumerism. Some of the quotes that I appreciated in our book are here: -

"To Americans, usually tragedy is wanting something very badly and not getting it."-Henry Kissinger

"Give a man everything he wants and at that moment everything will not be everything." -Immanuel Kent

[There are currently 210 countries in the world. Americans spend more on trash bags than the individual gross national product of 90 of these countries]. paraphrased from Margin, Dr. Richard Swenson.

Imagine if I were able to limit our family consumption to just what we need week by week. Matthew 6:32-33 says "For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

And finally from the Bible, Jesus says in Matthew 6:21 "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

So where is my treasure? Is it beating among all the clothes and toys and scrapbooking stuff here in my big American house? I used to think I could give it all up. But I think I rationalized it - by imagining it would be driven by a disasterous event, and I'd be grateful to be alive or something. Just doing with less because our income dropped isn't quite as heroic. And not nearly as compelling a motive for being content with Target and Walmart instead of Macy's and Nordstroms. I still wanna go to those places. I need to get over it.

So where is my treasure?