Recently, I had the privilege of reading an advance copy of the book, Living with Less: An Unexpected Key to Happiness by Joshua Becker. At the same time, I've been reading Proverbs with a great community of women at She Reads Truth, and my heart has been stirred with the parallels, the connections, the ways in which I feel God stretching me, asking me questions like:
What are you investing in? Where is your focus? What do you really value? How is your grip on the world getting in the way of the bigger, better, eternal things you could grasping?
But Becker's book, written for teenagers and young adults, was a good jumping off spot for me. (And like so many Y.A. books, not to be missed by those of us in a older demographic.) Because before I can really contemplate what I don't need to buy or what I should get rid of, my heart has to be in agreement with my hands, especially if they are hands that are going to reach for less. Especially in a world that screams at me, "More, more, more; hurry, hurry, hurry!"
The message in the book that resonated most deeply with me – and admittedly will take a continued switch in my thinking – is that Jesus' commandments about "selling possessions to give to the poor" or "not hoarding treasures here on earth" were actually not, as Becker puts it, "designed to make my life miserable," but instead an invitation to a fuller, more abundant life. In Jesus' upside down kingdom, less really is more. And although I've heard this message before, I need it again (and again and again). I need to be reminded that God is often just trying to save me from myself, and that my human nature does not really know best. Contrary to the messages I've often heard, following God's heart is better than following my own.
And, as mentioned above, the convictions I felt while reading about minimalism have been continually echoed through my study of Proverbs.
"A life devoted to things in a dead life, a stump; a God-shaped life is a flourishing tree." Proverbs 11:28
"A pretentious, showy life is an empty life; a plain and simple life is a full life." Proverbs 13: 7
"A simple life in the fear-of-God is better than a rich life with tons of headaches." - Proverbs 15:16
Becker's book is about more about the why of living as a minimalist, more than the how. He doesn't tell young people they can't have an iPhone or a car, but he does encourage them to follow the example of Jesus, and to contemplate what is truly worth pursuing in life (which is probably not the stuff that will end up in the landfill). It's a great book to get your mind turning and your soul searching – especially for those just starting out, with dreams and aspirations heavy on the mind.
Want to be challenged too? The book is a quick read, and is available for the Kindle and in paperback. (And would make a great college send-off gift!)
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