“Life is not measured by what you own.” – Luke 12:15Īs I went through my home decluttering items I had held onto for years, I began to investigate what it was that was motivating me to keep so many of these “just in case” items? From an old sauté pan to mounds of towels, sheets, jeans and gym shoes, we were holding on to so much. What chance do we stand against the 5,000 advertisements we see every day vying to be called a treasure, if we don’t purposefully decide ahead of time? If we don’t intentionally decide what we treasure, society will decide for us. The endless draw to keep up, accumulate and update, distracted us from the things that truly mattered and I didn’t have the slightest clue. Love, joy and peace often came in second to my need for updated throw pillows and wall art. I would never have called my never ending piles of stuff “treasure,” but managing my accumulation and updating material possessions took up too much of my time, resources and mental load. But what we believe to be true about ourselves and the way we actually live our lives, are two different things. I’ve read this verse countless times throughout my life, always assuming I had it figured out. “Wherever your treasure is there your heart will also be.” – Matthew 6:21 4 Ways Minimalism Reshaped My Christian Faith. With minimalism as my new lens I began to rethink it all and this is what I’ve found. What if an abundant life is actually found in the pursuit of less? Trading in our excess stuff for an undistracted life. Exchanging fear and worry for deeper trust. What if an abundant life has nothing to do with the accumulation of more, but with letting go? The letting go of our need to self-preserve and keep up.
More comfort, more success, more money, nicer stuff, a better life, greater health…you get the point. Minimalism offered me a new perspective. “I have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”įor as long as I can remember I was under the impression that an abundant life had to do with more. I still remember exactly where I was standing when I made the connection that this was about so much more than eliminating excess to spend more time playing Uno with my kids. From consumerism to your parenting, from your faith to your personal style, you’ll begin looking at everything differently. However, if you allow it to, this life of less will unclutter your soul. “The beautiful thing about minimalism, is it works whether you’re religious or not. It doesn’t matter your shape, size, belief system, faith, political view or even your college sports affiliation, minimalism can benefit everyone. It allows us to ditch the distractions, move with greater clarity and focus on what matters most. It’s simply a guardrail that keeps us moving toward a meaningful life. The reality is, while YES, getting rid of my stuff gave me back my home, it was the unique way in which minimalism transformed my faith that cemented it all for me. Hence my out of nowhere decision to start this blog a few years back. So when I found my sanity buried beneath our clutter, I wanted to share it with anyone who’d hear it. When I find a solution to a problem, it’s in my nature to make sure everybody knows the answer.
You see, if I’m excited about something, you’re going to hear about it. Sometimes I wonder if I give minimalism a bit too much credit. Here you’ll read how minimalism and christianity go hand in hand. Inside: While minimalism transformed my home, it was the way in which it transformed my heart that had the biggest impact on my life.
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