How Embracing Minimalism Can Help Us on Our Christian Journey
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Sometimes all the stuff in our lives can get overwhelming. We have homes with rooms upon rooms. Our garages are meant to house cars, but instead they’re filled with our belongings, and on top of this, we use storage units that hold even more. Often we keep things around “just in case” — just in case we need them one day, or just in case they’re worth monetary value.
And, as Jesus told us in Luke 16:13, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
This is echoed in the instructions Jesus provided the rich man who asked how to be perfect. He’d told the young man to follow God’s commandments, which the man was already doing. What else? the man asked.
Jesus wasn’t saying money was bad or evil, but rather, what is evil is the love of money. When we let things get in the way of our love for God or other people, there is a disconnect.
Those without all the material possessions of the rich are blessed in that they are not hindered by so much “stuff” coming between them and God. Their lives are simpler. The minimalist lifestyle, in this, helps us because with less stuff, we are less distracted and can do more for the Lord.
Photo credit: Unsplash/Sarah Brown
If you feel like God is calling you to become more minimalist regarding the items you own or possess, consider these steps:
1. Ponder Your Why
Pray on why you want to understand or adopt minimalism. Perhaps write down your reasons or talk with a Christian friend about the obstacles or problems too much stuff is creating for you.
2. Begin to Simplify
Start small and get rid of what you can. Do you have two coffee makers in case one breaks? Donate the other. Trust that you’ll be able to get another if needed.
3. Declutter
Amazing things happen when we start to use bookshelves for books or coffee tables for coffee instead of a repository for knick-knacks and other things. Consider your “junk drawer”—why do you need a drawer for junk?
4. Experiment Slowly
If you have a weekend trip coming up, choose to bring one pair of shoes instead of three. Pick your outfit and stick to it instead of having a bunch of options. Enjoy the lighter, smaller bag you are carrying. Or plan your meals, then shop only for what you plan to eat that week. Don’t just buy snacks or staples because you think you might need them. Buy what you need and use what you buy.
5. Start Using Cash
Often when we use plastic (like a debit or credit card) we don’t feel the pain of spending. But when we use cash, we have a tangible sense of what we are purchasing. Then, in the store, we might not feel as tempted to get that cute shirt or that trinket “just because.”
6. Make Over Your Closet
Do you have a bunch of clothes you’re saving for when you reach that ideal weight? Or shirts from a few years ago you’re saving in case they come back in style again, or your hold onto because you “just might” need it? Give it away. Keep what you really need and what you actually wear. Let your extras go to someone who really does need what is taking up unnecessary space in your closet
Not everyone needs to embrace the minimalist lifestyle. But if you are one who tends to focus on acquiring stuff or if you are feeling overwhelmed in general, minimalism might be a move in the right direction. Pray on this. Is God calling you in this direction?
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Photo credit: Unsplash/Sarah-Dorweiler
