We’ve heard a lot about minimalism during the last several years. People are getting rid of things they don’t need and freeing themselves from the burden of too many material possessions. The movement has become popular, but it’s not new.

There have been saints who practiced radical minimalism since the beginning of Christianity. Francis of Assisi may be the most well-known, a saint who gave up a wealthy lifestyle to live in poverty after hearing God’s call. There are many others, and vows of poverty are common in religious orders.

Why have so many chosen poverty?

Jesus preached about the danger of being dependent on wealth instead of God and of being attached to possessions. There is no shortage of Bible stories and verses that address the issue. One story that always strikes me no matter how many times I hear it is the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke 16. It seems the rich man has more than enough to share but ignores the man in need right at his gate, keeping all of the excess for himself.

Am I like the rich man?

When I first heard that story and others like it, I didn’t see how they applied to me. I wouldn’t do that, I thought. Who would allow material possessions to get in the way of following Jesus? That’s crazy.

But I felt my attention continually being directed to the issue, so I started noticing my habits, and I found there are plenty of times when I act like the rich man. Like choosing not to give to a charity, but then the same week buying something I don’t need. Or looking at my clothes and realizing I’m holding onto several pairs of jeans that haven’t fit in five years when there are people who have none. Jesus calls us to help the poor. So if I’m hanging onto things I don’t use and spending money on things I don’t need rather than donating it to help others, then I’m allowing money and stuff to distract me from following Him.

If God tells me to do something, I should probably do it

God has been nudging me to start the journey of detaching from my material possessions for a while now, but I’ve been putting it off. I finally started this weekend with my worst kitchen cabinets. Some of it was stuff I was clinging to and other stuff was just clutter. The cabinets were so crammed full that I gave up keeping them organized a long time ago. Check out the before and after:

I’m so glad I did this! It turned out to be easy and only took an afternoon. I recycled what I could, donated things in good shape that I don’t use, and organized what was left.

God doesn’t call everyone to the life of poverty that so many saints have lived. But He does call everyone to put Him first. And part of that means not being so attached to our things that we forget what really matters.

Now on to other spaces in my house . . .