Living Abundantly With What You Have: A Series
I find myself chewing on the concept of minimalism rather often. About once a month, I get this strong urge to chuck out half of what I own and live with no more items than what fits in our family’s Santa Fe. This usually happens when hot sink water’s running over my hands and my eyes are glazed over as I scrub the sheet pan and every single dish me and my husband have used that week for what feels like the umpteenth time (my poor Scrub Daddy’s seen better days).
Jokes—and chores—aside, minimalism and related concepts have been in the collective consciousness for some time now. Trends come and go…and then they come back again. I’ve read long and short pieces about quiet luxury, minimalism, maximalism, late-stage capitalism, all the isms (oh, there are so many isms.)
The point is this: we often find ourselves unsatisfied with the things we have. It’s a very human thing to experience in our modern society, yet every time we try to embrace one of these trends that promises so much, it falls flat. It’s almost comical how often I would fall into this cycle. Sure, there’s a bit of a dopamine hit when you throw those tees into a trash bag to ship off to your nearest donation center, but then what? There has to be more than that…right?
On the flip side, I’ve also gone aboard the hold-onto-every-last-thing-you-own train, saving tchotchkes and buttons and every last scrap for a rainy day. Now, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing; in fact, this habit can really help you steward things well and live resourcefully. As the daughter of refugees, there is great merit to such resourcefulness. However, let’s be honest: you cannot deny that this is a potential gateway into hoarding things you really don’t need to hold onto.
So what do we do about this?
I’m no Marie Kondo, and what I propose is not revolutionary in the slightest. Rather, it comes from none other than Jesus (I keep learning from Him every day.)
He said:
“A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”
(John 10:10, NABRE)
Funny Jesus says that, given that abundance means “an ample quantity” and He’s the one who, quite literally, has invited people into giving away everything they have to follow Him.
Nevertheless, His words ring true. That’s the paradox; in losing yourself, you find Him, and yourself, too.
“Okay, okay,” you’re probably saying to your screen. “How does this tie back to stuff?”
Enter: this series.
I’ll be totally honest, this musing originally started off as a listicle. However, as I reflected, I kept writing…and writing…and writing…and these thoughts spilled beyond what a mere listicle could hold.
Over this five-part series, I’ll examine some of the ways I’ve leaned into living more and how it’s affected my relationship with stuff, with ideas, and with others, too. Each week you’ll hear from me, and I’ll add the reflection below.
This is not a definitive list by any means, but I hope you’ll join me as we embrace what Christ invites us to, in both giving away what we have and living life to the full.