Two Things.

The moment I started thinking about and planning for this blog happened during a Sunday morning service at church.

The pastor used Proverbs 30:7-9 in his sermon and the meaning of it hit me like a ton of bricks. My journey with minimalism began about a year ago now, therefore my mind has conformed to that way of thinking on so many fronts. By using these particular verses, his insight only bolstered what I was already thinking when it came to the Biblical aspect of minimalism.

I understand that when you hear the term minimalist, visions of white rooms with no furniture and people sitting in the lotus position making humming noises tend to fill your mind.

But please, don't be apprehensive to read what I am about to say because it has nothing to do with any of those things.

I am a Christian who believes Jesus is my all in all, and if I am not practicing what I preach in my everyday life, then my mind is not focused on him as it should be. This might sound crazy to you, but the principles of minimalism have their roots in the Bible.

Now, let's look at the verses in Proverbs to get a better idea of what I mean.

Two things I ask of you, Lord;

do not refuse me before I die:

8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me;

give me neither poverty nor riches,

but give me only my daily bread.

9 Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you

and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’

Or I may become poor and steal,

and so dishonor the name of my God.

It is interesting to see how King Solomon, who was the richest guy like, EVER, asked God for only two things at this point in his life. That God would protect him from sinning, and that he would have only his "daily bread" to sustain him.

Compare this to what you and I require on a daily basis to function properly. I need food, my phone, a bed to sleep in, my family, clothes to wear, books to read, a job... the list goes on! But Solomon has narrowed his needs down to only two things.

It is also important to note how he is greatly concerned with his sin and anything that might distract him from serving the Lord. Solomon is asking God to protect him from outside influences so he can keep his mind and heart set on God and Kingdom business. His words show us that what he desires most is not material possessions or knowing he has money in the bank. All he asks is that God keeps him pure so that later on down the road when he is rich he won't tell God "I don't need you anymore."

Can you imagine coming to the point in your life when you possess only enough to survive? Only enough being what you need for that day, that hour, that minute, and that second?

And in the final part of the selected verses, we see Solomon asking God to help him refrain from sinning if he is to become a thief because he was too poor to buy anything outright. It all comes back to our sin nature as human beings; the very thing Jesus came to save us from.

Looking a little further into these verses and applying them to a minimalist lifestyle is actually quite profound.

Solomon, with God himself inspiring his pen, is showing us how to live a life devoid of distraction and pitfalls. He is telling us to sit quietly in the middle place of God's provision, the place where we have only enough to survive in this world and be satisfied, while looking upward for heavenly provision.

The world pressures us not only with material things, but also by distracting our hearts and stealing our love away from the Lord, the source of all life and the reason we exist.

This spiritual thievery should disturb our very souls. How much of our time is spent on thinking about and looking at material things that distract us from the smiles of our children, the love of a husband or wife, a laugh with friend, a good book, or time spent alone with our Creator?

I think it is time to consider removing the excess in our lives, beginning with the over-abundance of things in our homes. Eventually, the practice of removing unwanted or unused things leads to the simplification of other areas. For instance, I have given up taking a trip to the bookstore at least once a week because this obsession with owning things has hurt my bank account. In turn, it has hurt my peace of mind because the books have cluttered the spaces in my home that should be peaceful, namely my bedroom.

This journey has taught me that excess does not equal happiness. It only means exhaustion, frustration, and depression.

If my shelves are filled with things I no longer want or need and I continue to spend money in ways that exhibits my lack of good stewardship, it is time for me to stop and consider what is happening.

The clutter and over-abundance meant I was trying to find satisfaction in things that can't possibly fill that void. Only the Lord can do that, and I want to honor him by showing in a very practical way that He alone sits on the throne of my heart, not material possessions or my need to spend money on things the world says I need.

Next time, we'll talk about why it is hard getting started when you are trying to clean out your home. I want to give you some practical ways you can begin the process of needing ONLY ENOUGH.

Speak to you soon, lovelies.