--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We try so hard to hold onto our stuff. We…" description: "\"We try so hard to hold onto our stuff. We call it our treasure and expect to feel joy. But in God’s economy if we want to gain, we must give up. For jo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/784/lysa-terkeurst-1076_collecting_we-try-so-hard-to-hold-onto-our-stuff-we_1586976.jpg" --- # We try so hard to hold onto our stuff. We call it our… ![“We try so hard to hold onto our stuff. We call it our treasure and expect to feel joy. But in God’s economy if we want to gain, we must give up. For joy won’t ever be found in collecting treasures. Joy radiates in our life only when we share our treasures.” quote by Lysa TerKeurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/784/lysa-terkeurst-1076_collecting_we-try-so-hard-to-hold-onto-our-stuff-we_1586976.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/784/lysa-terkeurst-1076_collecting_we-try-so-hard-to-hold-onto-our-stuff-we_1586976.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/784/lysa-terkeurst-1076_collecting_we-try-so-hard-to-hold-onto-our-stuff-we_1586976.jpg) > “We try so hard to hold onto our stuff. We call it our treasure and expect to feel joy. But in God’s economy if we want to gain, we must give up. For joy won’t ever be found in collecting treasures. Joy radiates in our life only when we share our treasures.” [Lysa TerKeurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysa-terkeurst/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True joy comes from giving, not hoarding possessions; generosity unlocks happiness. **In simple terms:** Joy comes from sharing, not keeping. Key Takeaway Give to receive joy. Themes generosity spirituality contentment Mood grateful hopeful Type inspirational spiritual When to use this quote - charitable work - family sharing - community service - mentgiving - spiritual practice Key Concepts selflessness abundance spiritual economy Questions to Reflect On - What would you share today? - How does letting go change your sense of wealth? A Different Perspective Giving may require sacrifice and can be challenging when resources are scarce. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Economy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economy/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Giving up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving-up/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Treasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treasure/) ## Related quotes > [Everyone is good at something, and you'll come to find out that the more you share your treasures, the shinier they get, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-simonson/everyone-is-good-at-something-and-you-ll-come-to-find-out-that-the/) Lee Simonson > [“Don't be selfish, even nature knows how to share their treasures.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teana74/don-t-be-selfish-even-nature-knows-how-to-share-their-treasures/) [teana74](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teana74/) > [“In Joy, to lose one’s life is to gain it, and Joy never loses an opportunity to be lost in the other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-wood/in-joy-to-lose-one-s-life-is-to-gain-it-and-joy-never-loses-an/) [Geoffrey Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-wood/) > [The principles of gain through loss, of joy through sorrow, of getting by giving, of fulfillment by laying down, of life out of death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/the-principles-of-gain-through-loss-of-joy-through-sorrow-of-getting/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [Watch out for Haters all they want to do is depress your soul while they gain your joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/watch-out-for-haters-all-they-want-to-do-is-depress-your-soul-while/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Collect treasures that have meaning only to you. Put them in a special place, and explain them to no one, except when you're giving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwen-davis/collect-treasures-that-have-meaning-only-to-you-put-them-in-a-special/) [Gwen Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwen-davis/) > [Instead of collecting things and staying in one space, I want to collect experiences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kesh/instead-of-collecting-things-and-staying-in-one-space-i-want-to/) [Kesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kesh/) > [...You can go your whole life collecting days, and none will outweigh the one you wish you had back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/you-can-go-your-whole-life-collecting-days-and-none-will-outweigh-the/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [I don't know who had the training of you," he continued doggedly, "but your morals are shocking. You spent a night in my bed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loretta-chase/i-don-t-know-who-had-the-training-of-you-he-continued-doggedly-but/) [Loretta Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loretta-chase/) > [I didn't really grow up a comic book fanatic. I was a big baseball player, and my passion in life, in third grade, was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-ritchson/i-didn-t-really-grow-up-a-comic-book-fanatic-i-was-a-big-baseball/) [Alan Ritchson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-ritchson/) > [My real first job was delivering newspapers with I was 15. I would ride my bike around and chuck papers at people's houses. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane-cook/my-real-first-job-was-delivering-newspapers-with-i-was-15-i-would/) [Dane Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane-cook/) > [I found so-called great art too pompous, too stiff. What at this time was called minor art was freer, more imaginative, more open to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lipchitz/i-found-so-called-great-art-too-pompous-too-stiff-what-at-this-time/) [Jacques Lipchitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lipchitz/) > [If you're feeling fancy free, come wander through the world with me, and any place we chance to be, will be a rendezvous. Two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mancini/if-you-re-feeling-fancy-free-come-wander-through-the-world-with-me/) [Henry Mancini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mancini/) > [Taking photos is a form of collecting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-parr/taking-photos-is-a-form-of-collecting/) [Martin Parr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-parr/) > [I've always been interested in photographs, collecting them not systematically but randomly. They get lost, then turn up again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-g-sebald/i-ve-always-been-interested-in-photographs-collecting-them-not/) [W. G. Sebald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-g-sebald/) ## More by Lysa TerKeurst > [A woman who is careful with her words is a gift to all who know her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysa-terkeurst/a-woman-who-is-careful-with-her-words-is-a-gift-to-all-who-know-her/) [Lysa TerKeurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysa-terkeurst/) > [A woman who lives with the stress of an overwhelmed schedule will often ache with the sadness of an underwhelmed soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysa-terkeurst/a-woman-who-lives-with-the-stress-of-an-overwhelmed-schedule-will/) [Lysa TerKeurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysa-terkeurst/) > [When we have the same thought again, the line of the original thought is deepened, causing what's called a memory trace. With each repetition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysa-terkeurst/when-we-have-the-same-thought-again-the-line-of-the-original-thought/) [Lysa TerKeurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysa-terkeurst/) > [“We must not confuse the command to love with the disease to please.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysa-terkeurst/we-must-not-confuse-the-command-to-love-with-the-disease-to-please/) [Lysa TerKeurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysa-terkeurst/) > [The decisions we make dictate the schedules we keep. The schedules we keep determine the lives we live. The lives we live determine how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysa-terkeurst/the-decisions-we-make-dictate-the-schedules-we-keep-the-schedules-we/) [Lysa TerKeurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysa-terkeurst/) > [“It is good to be honest with God, but we must be careful that we don’t become whiners. There is nothing that aggravates my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysa-terkeurst/it-is-good-to-be-honest-with-god-but-we-must-be-careful-that-we-don-t/) [Lysa TerKeurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysa-terkeurst/) > [Jesus, I don't want to be a secret keeper with my faith. I want to be a bold and gracious truth proclaimer. For You.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysa-terkeurst/jesus-i-don-t-want-to-be-a-secret-keeper-with-my-faith-i-want-to-be-a/) [Lysa TerKeurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysa-terkeurst/) > [“Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to your goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysa-terkeurst/make-every-effort-to-add-to-your-faith-goodness-and-to-your-goodness/) [Lysa TerKeurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysa-terkeurst/) > [You've never gone too far that God can't redeem you, restore you, forgive you, and give you a second chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysa-terkeurst/you-ve-never-gone-too-far-that-god-can-t-redeem-you-restore-you/) [Lysa TerKeurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysa-terkeurst/) > [“What happened yesterday can’t be changed, but it can be forgiven. That’s your miracle in the mess. The voices of condemnation, shame, and rejection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysa-terkeurst/what-happened-yesterday-can-t-be-changed-but-it-can-be-forgiven-that/) [Lysa TerKeurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysa-terkeurst/) > [“I have discovered that if I can change the way I think about something, I can change the way I react to it. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysa-terkeurst/i-have-discovered-that-if-i-can-change-the-way-i-think-about/) [Lysa TerKeurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysa-terkeurst/) > [Whenever an opportunity comes your way, challenge yourself to first thank God and then quickly follow up with the question, “God, who else is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysa-terkeurst/whenever-an-opportunity-comes-your-way-challenge-yourself-to-first/) [Lysa TerKeurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysa-terkeurst/) > [“What happens when you delete “com” from the word compromise? You’re left with a “promise.” We were made for more than compromise. We were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysa-terkeurst/what-happens-when-you-delete-com-from-the-word-compromise-you-re-left/) [Lysa TerKeurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysa-terkeurst/) > [“I had allowed to settle into the core of who I am. I talked about myself in ways I would never let another person.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysa-terkeurst/i-had-allowed-to-settle-into-the-core-of-who-i-am-i-talked-about/) [Lysa TerKeurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysa-terkeurst/) > [“When I don’t have peace physically, I don’t have peace spiritually. I can’t separate the two. Nor should I.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysa-terkeurst/when-i-don-t-have-peace-physically-i-don-t-have-peace-spiritually-i/) [Lysa TerKeurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysa-terkeurst/) [Explore all 293 Lysa TerKeurst quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysa-terkeurst/) ## More Collecting quotes > [I've always been interested in photographs, collecting them not systematically but randomly. They get lost, then turn up again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-g-sebald/i-ve-always-been-interested-in-photographs-collecting-them-not/) [W. G. Sebald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-g-sebald/) > [Taking photos is a form of collecting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-parr/taking-photos-is-a-form-of-collecting/) [Martin Parr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-parr/) > [If you're feeling fancy free, come wander through the world with me, and any place we chance to be, will be a rendezvous. Two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mancini/if-you-re-feeling-fancy-free-come-wander-through-the-world-with-me/) [Henry Mancini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mancini/) > [I found so-called great art too pompous, too stiff. What at this time was called minor art was freer, more imaginative, more open to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lipchitz/i-found-so-called-great-art-too-pompous-too-stiff-what-at-this-time/) [Jacques Lipchitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lipchitz/) > [My real first job was delivering newspapers with I was 15. I would ride my bike around and chuck papers at people's houses. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane-cook/my-real-first-job-was-delivering-newspapers-with-i-was-15-i-would/) [Dane Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane-cook/) > [I didn't really grow up a comic book fanatic. I was a big baseball player, and my passion in life, in third grade, was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-ritchson/i-didn-t-really-grow-up-a-comic-book-fanatic-i-was-a-big-baseball/) [Alan Ritchson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-ritchson/) > [I don't know who had the training of you," he continued doggedly, "but your morals are shocking. You spent a night in my bed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loretta-chase/i-don-t-know-who-had-the-training-of-you-he-continued-doggedly-but/) [Loretta Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loretta-chase/) > [...You can go your whole life collecting days, and none will outweigh the one you wish you had back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/you-can-go-your-whole-life-collecting-days-and-none-will-outweigh-the/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [Instead of collecting things and staying in one space, I want to collect experiences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kesh/instead-of-collecting-things-and-staying-in-one-space-i-want-to/) [Kesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kesh/) > [I started collecting couture when I was about 10 or 11 years old, and the very first piece I bought was a Balenciaga suit from 1962.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamish-bowles/i-started-collecting-couture-when-i-was-about-10-or-11-years-old-and/) [Hamish Bowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamish-bowles/) > [I imagine the wave of water colliding with the rock and spilling over the tile floor, collecting around my shoes. Doing a little at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-imagine-the-wave-of-water-colliding-with-the-rock-and-spilling-over/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [I needed more knowledge in rigging and knotting. I started collecting books on knots and really learning more and more. That's how it started.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-petit/i-needed-more-knowledge-in-rigging-and-knotting-i-started-collecting/) [Philippe Petit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-petit/) > [Physics is the only real science. The rest are just stamp collecting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-rutherford/physics-is-the-only-real-science-the-rest-are-just-stamp-collecting/) [Ernest Rutherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-rutherford/) > [Some prescient American collectors, including Vicki and Kent Logan and Mera and Donald Rubell, began collecting Chinese art before 2000 with a genuine passion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arne-glimcher/some-prescient-american-collectors-including-vicki-and-kent-logan-and/) [Arne Glimcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arne-glimcher/) > [If I collected all the diamonds in the world, I'd have no 'income' but I'd have a lot of 'assets'. Would my company be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/if-i-collected-all-the-diamonds-in-the-world-i-d-have-no-income-but-i/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) Browse all 493 Collecting quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We try so hard to hold onto our stuff. We call it our treasure and expect to feel joy. But in God’s economy if we want to gain, we must give up. For joy won’t ever be found in collecting treasures. Joy radiates in our life only when we share our treasures.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lysa TerKeurst" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysa-terkeurst/we-try-so-hard-to-hold-onto-our-stuff-we-call-it-our-treasure-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Collecting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysa-terkeurst/we-try-so-hard-to-hold-onto-our-stuff-we-call-it-our-treasure-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/784/lysa-terkeurst-1076_collecting_we-try-so-hard-to-hold-onto-our-stuff-we_1586976.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/784/lysa-terkeurst-1076_collecting_we-try-so-hard-to-hold-onto-our-stuff-we_1586976.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/784/lysa-terkeurst-1076_collecting_we-try-so-hard-to-hold-onto-our-stuff-we_1586976.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We try so hard to hold onto our stuff. We call it our treasure and expect to feel joy. But in God’s economy…” — Lysa TerKeurst", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Lysa TerKeurst", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysa-terkeurst/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We try so hard to hold...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysa-terkeurst/we-try-so-hard-to-hold-onto-our-stuff-we-call-it-our-treasure-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysa-terkeurst/we-try-so-hard-to-hold-onto-our-stuff-we-call-it-our-treasure-and/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```