Should Christians Be Minimalists?
Minimalism is a needed pushback on materialism. However, minimalism in and of itself isn’t life-giving. Christian simplicity is what is needed.
Would you consider yourself a minimalist? This is a trendy question among many young people today. For years, my wife Janan has been a fan of Marie Kondo, a Japanese professional organizer and consultant.
In The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, Kondo writes, “The best way to choose what to keep and what to throw away is to take each item in one’s hand and ask: ‘Does this spark joy?’ If it does, keep it. If not, dispose of it.” The founder of the website Becoming Minimalist, Joshua Becker, adds, “Minimalism is not that you should own nothing. But that nothing should own you.”
Minimalism is a needed pushback on materialism. However, minimalism in and of itself isn’t life-giving. It can actually lead to an internal sense of pride. Christian simplicity is different. It’s choosing to live below your means and not live with the distractions that call you away from your relationship with God.
In Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster grouped spiritual disciplines into three categories: inward, outward, and corporate. We’ve looked at each internal discipline, which includes meditation, prayer, fasting, and study. Now, we turn to the first of the outward disciplines—simplicity.
As Foster writes, “The Christian Discipline of simplicity is an inward reality that results in an outward lifestyle.” It’s not making changes to impress others. Instead, it’s done with the deep desire to declutter our lives so that we can better hear the voice of God.
So, what does a simple lifestyle look like?
