Collecting or Hoarding?

Hoarding is becoming a major problem all over the world. One particular strain of hoarding is called in Japanese, "Tsundoku" which means Book Hoarder who collects books and never reads them. Collecting books is also called Bibliophilia and the person who collects is an Bibliophile.

The line between collecting and hoarding is fine. In fact, the definition of both collecting and hoarding is not reassuring. Collecting is defined as, "someone who treasures certain possessions and shows them off to others and prides themselves in their possessions." This sounds quite vain. Hoarding in contrast has fear component, which is defined as, "Someone who hoards or collects things out of fear of needing them or not wanting to let them go until the living situation becomes unmanageably cluttered."

At the center of hoarding and collecting is an emptiness. For the collector there is pride and self esteem coming from their collection; a sense of identity, but as Christians this should only come from Christ Jesus. Collecting isn't necessarily wrong, but using it to fill that emptiness in your soul and seeking vain glory; to display and show it off seems rather conceited unless it blesses those who get to interact with the collection. Hoarding is fear based, and the Apostle Paul said, "You have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love and sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7).

I feel for both collectors and hoarders. They aren't bad people; they are lonely, hurting, abused, and fearful people. Collecting gives a sense of being and purpose. Maintaining a collection gives people the same satisfaction of tending a garden and other similar activities. However, collecting can get out of hand and become hoarding and oppressing the person. Jesus said, "My yoke is easy and my burden light.." (Matthew 11:30). Possessions can become a burden; hence why Henry David Thoreau said, "Possessions possess us, they require our devotion and time to maintain them; wither they be cow in need of milking or.." (Paraphrase of Walden).

The answer to collecting is to maintain manageable collections. It is my advice you keep these collections small, rather than large. When you buy a new addition to your collection, consider removing one of the items in your collection you no longer treasure; one that perhaps lays dusty on a shelf or in a closet unseen or beneath a bed. In addition a collector who is a Christian needs to collect for the right reasons; rather than amass paraphernalia for prideful showing off, use that collection to bring joy to your life and to others; even being willing to share that collection with others (if in the very least your family).

For hoarders I recommend help from the Holy One and helpful Christian counselor. Hoarding often is to hide major hurt feelings and abuses that were done to the hoarder. They fill their houses with stuff to distract themselves from the hurt or to even barricade them with a literal boundary; just as some overweight people do with their fat; making them harder to hurt and abuse. Hoarding has major insecurity in it and the answer is deep soul searching in the Savior Jesus Christ and Christian Counselor. If  you are a hoarder, you need to know you are "New Creation" (2 Corinthians 5:17), "Child of Light" (Ephesians 5:8), "Child of God" (Galatians 3:26),  and "you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession," (1 Peter 2:9). Find solace not in the stuff that surrounds you, but the Savior who bled on the cross for you and who will heal you (1 Peter 2:24).

Do not demean collectors or hoarders. We live in a new "witch hunt" for hoarders and many well minded brothers and sisters in Christ think they need to act with haste. While yes, hoarding is serious, remember that this person  is hoarding for a reason, and when the reason is revealed the hoarding often will seem like minor answer for coping; when they could have been on drugs, alcohol, and other addictions. Pray for those who struggle with hoarding and remember that as believers we are to "speak the Truth in love," (Ephesians 4:15) and "bear one another's burdens." (Galatians 6:2). Remember to treat people the way you would want to be treated. (Luke 6:31). While you point at the boxes or pony collection stacking in your friend's house; you may find yourself surrounded by art, DVDS, and other hoardic amounts of stuff. The truth is many suffer from hoarding, and just because your space is clean, doesn't mean your vintage car collection that takes up three garages and your family picture albums which are neatly in the hundreds isn't hoarding; it in fact can be. So be kind, lest you find you too have hoarding mind. Jesus said, "You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." (Matthew 7:5).