The Spiritual Minimalist

The Spiritual Minimalist
By: Norman Kissinger
RTTBROS

I'm not around broadcast television much but I noticed on my Roku stations that there seems to be in the last 10 years a big move towards minimalism. It seems that today many people are decluttering and downsizing. There is a lot of appeal to do both in my life. I was forced into moving several times in the last four years and each time I got rid of more stuff. The minimalist point that the less we have the more mentally, spiritually and emotionally freedom we gain. It is true. My life got simpler every time I got rid of more stuff.

But whether you decide to live in a 500 square foot home and get rid of everything or you still want to live in a mansion, on a spiritual level we should all be minimalist. The book of Hebrews tells us that we need to get rid of the sins and weights that hold us back. We have way too much spiritual clutter in our lives. There are always too many evil and good things vying to become idols in our hearts.

Now I’m not suggesting that we move into the country and become monks because just giving up stuff does not make a person more spiritual, but we do have to constantly check our hearts to make sure that our relationship with Jesus is the most important thing in our life. We can purpose in our hearts that Christ is going to be the most important thing at the beginning of the day and by the end of the day he is slipped to 3rd place.

Most of the things that the Lord has convicted me that were idols in my life were good things. I made Idols out of what I call the 3M's-money marriage and ministry. Certainly nothing wrong with those 3 things until they become more important than my relationship to God which they did. And that's not even talking about all the sins that have weighed me down over the years.

So, it's not just what we take up to accomplish in the new year but maybe what we need to give up. Gene called this planed neglect. I thought that was good. We all need to have some planned neglect this year. We need to neglect some sins, neglect some good things that get in the way of the Lord, neglect some laziness, neglect some carrying around other people's drama, and the list could be endless.

So, what do you need to start neglecting? I don't know about you but I'm great at neglecting stuff it just always the wrong things.

Maybe it's time for all of us to start being spiritual minimalists. Maybe some of our New Year's resolutions would make it past January.