By nature, I am the farthest thing from a minimalist. As bad as it sounds, I love my stuff. I don’t know if I find comfort in having the security of my things, or if I think that having more material possessions means I’m better off in life, but I have always collected things and accumulated stuff.
That being said, I’ve always wanted to be a minimalist. More recently than when I was a kid, I have been craving that simple lifestyle, with just the basics, and no frills. I crave having a room that looks simple, that truly isn’t cluttered, and that is neat.
I am on the search for a simpler life of living with less.
I admire those people who have simple lives: the clean room, the aesthetically pleasing house, the no clutter, and the non-messy lives.
The older I get, the more I realize that my stuff doesn’t define me and the more stuff I have, the more distractions I have. It is hard living in this world and pursuing Jesus because there are so many distractions that keep us from Him. For me, it’s my stuff that distracts me from him: all of the school papers, the random knick-knacks, the unorganized desk, the messy bedside table, the list goes on and on.
The older I get, the more I realize that my stuff isn’t benefitting me, but it’s distracting me from the one thing that I actually need: Jesus.
I don’t think that there is any harm in having stuff, but I do think that harm is done when your stuff becomes a priority, when you put shopping over spending time with Jesus, and when ultimately your stuff becomes an idol. For such a long time, I had a hard time truly understanding what “idols” were. I would say, “yeah, I don’t worship gold little statues or Buddhas, so that means I’m good and I don’t have idols.” Boy oh boy was I wrong. What I’ve realized is that idols can take on any shape and any form. Idols are the things that pull you away from God, the things that take priority in your life. Idols can be clothes, school, friendships, fitness, work, or anything in between. Idols are sneaky little suckers that take control of your thoughts slowly and all at once.
In my life personally, I think that my stuff has become an idol. I have said, “I love my stuff,” but do I love it more than I love Jesus?
We all have different idols. Yours might be school or work. Right now, mine is my stuff and my unorganized life.
From here on out, I am going to try to simplify my life and I think that it’d be fun to take y’all on the journey with me. Do you want to join by simplifying your life, too? Let’s cut out those distractions in life and let’s make time and space for Jesus. If you don’t have a problem with stuff and you are naturally a minimalist (I wish I was born a minimalist. I have a lot of respect for you), then maybe you can take this time to simplify another aspect of your life: your busy schedule, your time, your diet, or even your makeup routine. I think it’s wonderful when we take a step back, and go back to the basics. After all, if we boiled it all down to the really basic thing we need, that’s Jesus. Let’s make room for Him and let’s make time for Him to work in us and in our lives.
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