embracing minimalism

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” ~ Matthew 6:21

Without intending to do it, I’ve been walking toward a simple and unexpected path as part of my spiritual journey: minimalism. Embracing minimalism feels like a natural next step to my meditation practice where I practice and enjoy the still simplicity of silent prayer… and this beauty-of-being-simple is beginning to inspire even more areas of my life :)

There are many people (including me now) who believe there are great spiritual and faith benefits to living a minimalist lifestyle. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)

Not to put too much pressure on myself here, but I’d like to experiment with living my life more aligned to Jesus’ way of not being attached to material possessions, and valuing people and creation over objects. I am interested to diminish my attachment to material goods, especially clothing, which I often have a very irrational emotional attachment to.

We know now, thanks to social justice reporting, that there are a very high human, political and environmental costs to the culture of consumerism we’ve adopted here in North America. The blog Becoming Peculiar ask the almost obvious question: “Why aren't Christians at the forefront of this movement [of minimalism]?”

From becomingminimalist.com: “although i get a little nervous saying this, this path to become minimalist has become a spiritual journey for me. i get nervous about that because i realize that this ups the anty in my journey. before it was just about deliberating getting organized and choosing a new design style for my home. but now it’s about living a life that is honoring to the God who created me. choosing a design style, i’m okay if i screw that up. but not honoring God with my life, that’s a mistake i want to stay away from…” ~ blog post “a spiritual journey”, by Joshua Becker

Back here at SpiritSpace, I personally want to stop contributing to the social and political oppression and environmental pollution of the capitalist-lead consumerism; and take responsability for halting my own consumerism. And, I’d like to stop buying-in to the oppression of the have and have-not heirarchy of power. What I previously felt wrong about, I now feel inspired to take action on, in my own area of impact and in the choices pertaining to my life, lifestyle and living space.

Project333 is personal-project-turned-closet-revolution started by CourtneyC. She created a micro-course that outlines how to edit your wardrobe to only 33 pieces, to wear over 3 months. Essentially, each season you edit your personal wardrobe capsule collection to thirty-three clothing and accessory items, based on your seasonal needs. I've just started the course and am really enjoying it. Plus, it’s been fun to connect with other minimalist through YouTube, Pinterest and the blogosphere :)

It absolutely blows my mind that I (and we) need to take a COURSE on how not to be consumers. The concept and practice is so foreign to us! How IS this possible?... especially since we've only been reading about the importance of this in the bible for, hmm, only about 2000 years! The fact that we need to research and investigate into this mysterious approach to not-having ~and feel the need to excuse ourselves to raised eyebrows by saying we are only experimenting~ is unbelievable. This is a serious WWJD moment! Ha!

My prayer reflection this season is from Micah 6:8 “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” I’m embracing minimalism in response. My hope is that my experiment in minimalism will become a social justice, political, environmental and spiritual reply to God's call. And why not? I may not do minimalism perfectly, but I think my curiousity, enthusiasm and pure intention will make up for any shortcomings :) I’m excited about where this path leads and what it may further illuminate.

For more on minimalism and faith-inspired minimalism, check out: becomingminimalist.com and project333.com

Have you gone minimalist? Thinking about it? Let me know!

Best, SS