Christian Minimalism by August Gawen

Day 1 or 3: The Rich Young Man

Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.”
“Which ones?” the man enquired.
Jesus replied, “Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself."
“All these I have kept” the young man said, “What do I still lack?”
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. The come, follow me.”
When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
-Paraphrased from Matthew 19 (NIV)

I want to tell you a bit about my journey before we move onto the main message so bare with me here. For the majority of my life I thought that buying things—clothes, books, tech, furnishings—would fill the empty space inside. The temporary relief I felt through buying things was satisfying yet fleeting. I engaged in endless shopping trips not because I thought it was the best way of living my life; it was just what I had always done and I didn’t see an alternative.

When I became a Christian in my early twenties, consumerism followed me into my faith life. I consumed books, conferences, music and journals. It only led me to the same place that I started from. I felt empty again; longing for something to change.

It was during this time of searching that I came across the concept of Christian minimalism: the intentional removing of distractions, to live a meaningful life with less. Instead of following the mantra of "more, more, more," I found liberation in less. Less TV, less shopping, a smaller circle of close intimate relationships. As I removed each distraction, I was able to create space for some new things too—meditation, daily bible reading and a closer connection to God and my community.

In the story of The Rich Young Man, we see someone who desires righteousness and eternal life. The young man questions Jesus on what he must do ensure his future. And the answer was perhaps not what he was expecting: Jesus asks him to let go. Let go of his wealth; let go of his possessions. Yet, in the end, the young man went away with sadness in his heart, for this is not something he wanted to do.

The theme of "letting go" is a thread that is weaved throughout the entire Bible. God asked Abraham to let go of his first born son. The Israelites had to let go of the life they had in Egypt. Ultimately, Jesus gave up his life on the cross. As Christians, we are asked to let go of pain and the desire for vengeance, for the sake of God’s Kingdom.

In a world that always tells us that "more" I better, what might we need to subtract or remove in order to embrace God’s purposes for us?

Reflection: You are whole and beloved in the eyes of God. No possession, no project, no relationship will make you complete. Christ dwells within you. His grace and goodness is abundant.

Day 1 or 3: The Rich Young Man

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