What Does Scripture Have to Say?
With the recent boom of minimalism books, documentaries, and articles telling you that less is more, one main question has been brought to many minds: Is minimalism a Christian concept? Well, let’s look at the scriptures.
In Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus reminds us, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven… For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
The apostle Paul offers in 1 Timothy 6:6-8 that “godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.”
Matthew 19:21 – “Jesus said to him, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.'”
“And [Jesus] said to them, ““Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.””
Now, none of these scriptures say that owning possessions is inherently evil, but rather that desiring those possessions CAN distract you from what matters in life as a Christian. The caveat here is the intention behind the desire. There is a difference between wanting a new trendy item because everyone else has it and wanting a new trendy item because you believe that it will aid you in your life and in your pursuit to serve others.
My Experience with Minimalism
As a somewhat minimalist individual by nature, I have never wanted to keep a whole lot. As a child, one of my favorite hobbies was doing seasonal cleanouts of my belongings. (Before you say it, yes, I realize I was a weird child…) I would comb through everything I owned, create keep, donate, and trash piles, and reorganize my entire space. Sometimes, I would simply remove items I knew held no value for me and sometimes I would try to force myself to dwindle items down out of a feeling that I was holding on to too much. I would count my clothing items and tell myself how many pieces I was allowed to keep and would feel stressed over which ones I would have to part with.
Through that process and as I have grown, I realized three things.
1) That some belongings would stay in my life, either out of usefulness or sentimentality, and some were only here for a season and I could let them go after that value diminished… and that is okay.
2) I noticed which particular things held value to me and which were merely impulse buys. This allowed me to be more careful when shopping in the future so that I could be a better steward of my money and better utilize my space.
3) And lastly, I learned that the aim of these evaluations for me was more a reminder to be intentional in the things that I owned and to be wise in how I used the space that I lived in rather than self-mandated minimalism.
Intentional consumption, instead of focusing on the number of possessions I own, has become my focus.
A Proverbs 31 Woman… With No Possessions?
One example I would like to bring forward is the Proverbs 31 woman.
Do you think that she would be able to serve in the way she did without her home, belongings, and wealth? Probably not.
If you look at the scripture, she used her wealth to become more wealthy, and she used her home and possessions to serve her family, her maidens, and the poor. It is also worth taking note that she did not wear the cheapest of clothing so that she could give more to the poor; she wore clothing of fine linen and purple (31:24). Taking care of herself and her family was not considered selfish. Instead, she is praised for wearing respectable apparel, and she even learned to make these items herself and sold them to help support her family, work, and her charity (31:25).
From her example and from the scriptures I mentioned earlier, we learn that possessions are not the problem. Greed, covetousness, and a lack of stewardship are the problem. The scriptures do not command minimalism, but they also speak of greater things than what you own. The word of the grace of God over the fine possessions and giving over receiving (Acts 20:32-35).
A Simpler Way
If you are interested in living minimally, that can be a great thing. However, I would highly encourage you to define your purpose in living this lifestyle. Study the word and seek God’s guidance to help you find a Christ-like intention behind your decision. Don’t just look at His Word for a moment, but dwell in it continually. Seek wisdom in becoming a better steward in your life and God’s Word, which is active, will help you to grow in grace and knowledge.
Remember that possessions are not the problem but our intention behind having them. Do your possessions have value for you? Do they help you serve God, your family, and others? Or are they a hindrance?
What do you think about my view on minimalism as a Christian? Let me know if you have any questions or have any other scripture you would like to share on this topic!