2017 is here! A new year, new goals, new resolutions, new opportunities, new mindsets. I have always loved the refreshment that comes with the start of a new year. This time of year I always get the urge to do a total purge of my house around too, getting rid of all the clutter that has mounted up throughout the year (or years). That is one thing I am continually finding more enjoyment out of as I get older… having LESS STUFF! I am trying to become more of a minimalist- but have a looooong way to go. Truly living minimally is hard! Having less and being genuinely happy with less is totally countercultural and seemingly unproductive. BUT- I feel like God has slowly worked this idol out of my heart of my love for things. Yes, I still love a good pair of shoes. Yes, I still want C to have nice toys and books to read… but I’ve found more and more, I’m holding these things more loosely. It’s okay if I don’t have this or that every time we walk into a store- unless that store is named Starbucks, then it’s inevitable I will walk out with something. 🙂
As I think and pray about goals I want to pursue in the new year, simplify was a word that kept circulating. I want this word to cover all aspects of this coming year- whether that’s the amount of stuff we have in our home, the type of home we live in, and the things we fill up our time doing (or not doing) throughout this new year. I am quite notorious for saying yes too much and cramming in every little thing, just to make sure I don’t disappoint others or myself. More often than not, I catch myself feeling inadequate or purposeless if I don’t feel like I have my hand on everything. I have had to remind myself that trying to please everyone can also be an idol of the heart. Galatians 1:10 says
For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
God’s truth reminds me here that if I spend this year seeking the approval of others, I will not be serving Him. I think I’ll also find myself to be more stressed and tired. So, I think there is more to this minimalism thing than just the amount of stuff we have in our homes. I think God, at the core, wants us to see more than anything the simplicity in serving only Him. Finding contentment in the minimalism of pursuing and loving only Him… not our stuff, not the idols that weigh our hearts down and make us lose our focus on Him.
So, this year I am going to try and simplify. I’m going to pursue minimalism- on the exterior and interior, stripped away of all the ‘stuff’ and filled with the life-giving word of God. Filled with the hope that His son Jesus offers us. Filled with thankfulness for the minimal and seeing the beauty of contentment in what I do have. Spending more of that thankfulness being present with my family and my God.
What are your goals and resolutions in 2017? Have you prayed about it? Maybe God is calling you to take away and simplify things for you this year too instead of adding more. I’d love to hear your goals and aspirations below! Happy New Year!
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