Christian Minimalism: Simple Steps for Abundant LivingSample

We live in a society in which it is a badge of honor to be busy— to not have a second to breathe. It makes us feel like we are important people who have important things to do, and it looks impressive to everyone else. We are commended when we live by the motto, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.”

Being so busy means that we are unable to take care of ourselves. God calls us to care for God’s creation: us (Psalm 139:13–14). We are called to care for our bodies, but caring for ourselves is so much more than that. We are unable to serve others and show Christ’s love to others when we have our own unresolved issues.

In Matthew 7:3-5, we read that Jesus wants us to take care of our own stuff before we serve and help others with theirs. Taking care of ourselves is not selfish. It enables us to be better followers of Jesus. We are better able to answer God’s call to spread the good news of Jesus and serve others when we are healthy ourselves.

Christian minimalism is a way to cut through the clutter and prioritize care of ourselves. When we are so busy that we shortchange taking care of ourselves, we are not only hurting ourselves. We are hurting those whom we are trying to serve because we aren’t able to serve them fully and completely.

We need all our energy and well-being to do God’s work in the world. With God’s help, we can focus on what we can work on in ourselves, so that we can be the best followers of Jesus as possible.

What is God calling you to focus on and/or remove in yourself, so you can best serve God and others in God’s kingdom?