Christian Minimalism: How Jesus Helps Us Live More With Less

In America, we live in the land of plenty.

Our closets are stuffed. Garages are so full that we park our cars in the streets. Self-storage has become a multi-billion dollar industry.

We throw away hundreds of millions of tons of trash every year. And we are bombarded with thousands of ads a day designed to make us less satisfied with the stuff we have so we’ll want more stuff.

Our stuff is everywhere. It’s the American dream.

But here’s the problem: We have more stuff than ever, but we’re more miserable than ever.

We’re drowning in debt, bills, clutter, and higher rates of depression. Plus, we’re working longer hours at jobs we hate to pay for more stuff.

Perhaps Jesus knew what he was talking about when he said, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15).

So why don’t more Christians live like this is true?

How often do we look at the neighbor’s car and wish we had a newer car?

How much do we walk through the mall and wish we had nicer clothes?

How many times do we dream of bigger homes, more money, better vacations, newer gadgets, and more?

We’re all guilty of coveting. We’ve bought the ancient lie that more stuff will make our lives better.

But once again, Jesus warns, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:26).

Listen: The pursuit of more will cost you your soul.

Poverty Is Not the Goal

Jesus’ challenge to Christians is not to be poor. Making more money doesn’t make you evil.

It’s about your heart. Do you love God or money? You can’t love both.

In the end, this love manifests itself in what you do with what you have.

Is it all about your self-indulgence? Your comfort and security? Or, are you using your money as a resource in your pursuit loving and living more like Christ?

This “Christian minimalism” that Jesus taught was not just about owning less or being poor. The goal is being less attached to your stuff and money and more attached to the things of God.

The goal is increased generosity—living on less so that we have more to give (more time, more energy, and, yes, more money). Because, as Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

Jesus was the perfect example of this. Paul writes, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).

Christ exchanged heaven for earth, a throne for a manager, and a crown of gold for a crown of thorns because we were more valuable to him. And we honor him by following his lead.

Benefits of Less

Just think about the practical benefits of owning less:

• Less cleaning: When you own less, you have less to clean and put away. It’s easier to pick up a basketful than a roomful. It takes less to vacuum a modest home than a mansion.
• Less maintenance: The more you own, the more you have to maintain. Owning less means less repairing, fixing, and replacing. A bigger house with a bigger yard means more home repairs and more yard work.
• Less cost: Less maintenance, repairs, utilities, and purchases keeps more money in your bank account.
• Less stress: The more you have, the more you have to think about. Plus, a less cluttered, messy room is more relaxing. Owning less means you have less to worry about. You gain more mental space.
• Less work: You don’t have to work as much to pay for all the things you don’t need, and you don’t have to work as long to maintain it all either. Less stuff leads to more time for what matters more.

You can pursue what matters most when you rid yourself of what doesn’t matter.

As followers of Jesus, this means we can focus less on worldly possessions and more on treasure in heaven.

What This Looks Like For My Family of Four

My family and I were convicted about our growing piles of stuff years ago.

So we made some big changes to free ourselves to focus more on what matters.

Here are just a few things we did:

• Cut Cable: We cut cable TV and use a cheap HD antenna to watch the major networks for free.
• Unsubscribe: We ended all of our monthly subscriptions except one.
• Downsize: We bought a modest home instead of the most expensive home the bank would loan us money for.
• No Yard Work: I hate yard work. So we are happy with a small yard that requires zero maintenance. Now we spend our weekends with our kids, not our lawnmower. Instead of feeling the need to own a big yard, we enjoy nearby parks that we’re all paying for anyway.
• Pay Cash: We don’t buy anything with credit cards. If we don’t have the money, we don’t buy it. It’s simple math: If you spend less than you make, you’ll have more than you need.
• Purge: We do a huge purge every year. We go through every room in the house and donate everything we don’t need or haven’t used in a year. It’s shocking how much stuff we can accumulate in a year without even trying!

Doing things like this has freed us up to live more for what matters.

We set a family goal of owning less so we have more time, energy, and money to give.

Some people think we are weird, but that’s OK. I’d rather be weird than miserable, stressed, and buried in debt like normal people.

Live Rich With Less

When you live as Jesus taught, you may have less, but you will be truly rich.

Paul says it far better than I can:

“As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life” (1 Timothy 6:17-19).

Stop trying to live like everyone else. It’s not working!

The pursuit of more is a bottomless pit that can never fill your soul.

Follow Jesus and take hold of the life only he can give.