Minimalism is a lifestyle that has taken the world by storm recently, rising in popularity in media and news. What is minimalism? By definition, minimalism is a lifestyle that intentionally focuses on what really matters. It is focused on getting rid of the “stuff” that often clutters our lives and doesn’t serve a real purpose. However, should Christians embrace minimalism? Does the Bible have anything to say about it?
While the Bible of course does not mention the minimalistic lifestyle by name, it does talk some about its concepts. For example, 1 Timothy 6:6-10 says, “But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
Clearly, the Bible is taking a stance on the collecting of “stuff”. It just isn’t necessary. When we can’t take money or material possessions with us after we pass away from this world, it doesn’t make sense to try and collect many possessions, does it?
The other thing that must be considered is that the more things you have, the more things can distract you from what Jesus is calling you to do. Let’s be honest; some of our possessions are merely distractions or time-consumers. Without these things, we may be freed up to follow Jesus more in our lives.
With all that being said, a minimalistic lifestyle is a good thing for a Christian to pursue. Embracing the whole movement of minimalism may be a little too much as we want to make sure we’re following what the Bible says, not any other movement, but the main statutes of minimalism are present in the Bible.
Jesus does call us to live simplistic lives because that is how we can be better equipped to do His work. Simple lives allow us more time, they cause us to rely more on God, and they show us where beauty truly lies in this life; not in “stuff” but in people and what God is doing.
So, be careful to not get too sucked into the minimalistic movement, but let it rather spur your heart on to think about what God says about the kind of life you should live. Where are areas in your life that you could begin to be more minimal for the glory of God? Where could you cut back on “stuff” and be more generous to others instead? These are all questions we must ask ourselves and we encourage you to think and pray on these things.