I feel like I’m constantly saying to myself “I need to simplify my life.” Usually, it’s because of physical or mental/emotional clutter. Physical clutter is tangible stuff: the piles of papers on my desk at work, or the junk mail sitting at home, overflowing closets and storage areas or just stuff sitting around. Mental clutter for me is: my calendar is too full, my to-do list is too long, my brain is fried and I have to remember this and this and this…  Then there’s the guilt I feel about my flagging efforts to keep in touch with old friends, or I forgot to send a Thank You note that one time… that’s mental and emotional clutter too. I think there is also a category of clutter, I’ll call it Electronic clutter, and this one is pretty bad for me. I can’t seem to keep my email inbox under control. Hmm… control. To be honest, that’s really one of the things I’m craving… control. Clutter makes me feel ‘out of control’ and then I’m overwhelmed. (I know better than to desire ‘control’, but it doesn’t stop me, does it?) However, I’m starting to realize that the pursuit of simplicity shouldn’t be motivated by the longing to be in control (that’s a losing battle), but rather the desire to clear my life of things that don’t matter and replace it with things that do matter.

In fact, now that I think about it, all of this clutter can really be categorized as “Spiritual clutter.”  Clutter distracts us. Whether it’s physical, mental or electronic… all of it is distracting us from our relationship with God and His plan for us. The enemy uses our busyness and our desire for more stuff and newness to distract us, and it’s definitely working.

Reducing physical clutter is probably the easiest way to begin to live more simply and it helps with the mental clutter too; when you get rid of stuff, you spend less time organizing it or moving it or dusting it, etc. Then you can spend more time doing important things like spending time with family, friends and God. Have you ever noticed how good it feels when you get rid of a box of stuff or a bag of clothes? At least for me, that’s the feeling of freedom; freedom from feeling bound to the things of this world. Also, if we have too much attachment to our stuff, and we are constantly tempted to buy and own new stuff, we are sinning.  “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).

Rather than digressing on an anti-consumerism rant here, I’ll instead share that I’ve been wanting to read a book about Christian Simple Living, and I’ve browsed around a bit looking for the right book. I would love to hear any suggestions if you have them. I’ve decided to read a brand new book called “Almost Amish” which is by Nancy Sleeth (the wife of my favorite Creation Care author and also a co-founder of Blessed Earth). From what I can tell, it’s about learning from the values of the Amish — like getting back to the basics and focusing on God, family and community — and applying some of that to our own lives.  But we must obviously understand the balance — I don’t expect to be convicted to trade my car for a horse or shut off my electricity (but some of you wouldn’t be too shocked if that happened, would you?)!

I’m really in the beginning of my journey to intentionally ‘simplify my life.’ For me, to start, this means: getting rid of physical clutter (it’s spring cleaning and yard sale season!); eliminating habits that cause me stress or anxiety for really no good reason (“oh no, these coupons are going to expire if I don’t go to the store today!”); or that cause me to covet stuff or feel anything but contentment with what I am blessed to have already (reduce exposure to ads and fight the temptation to browse or window-shop in stores or online; stop thinking about the shortcomings of my house or wardrobe, and just appreciate that I am blessed to have a roof over my head and clothing on my back); and instead use that time to commune with God, and use the conserved emotional energy to serve and pour into others.

There are a lot of blogs out there devoted to this subject, and plenty of books too. For some, the simplicity is just the opposite of consumerism, or the opposite of physical clutter. I think that’s fair, but it doesn’t capture it all. For others, living simply is about living purposefully – spending your time and mental energy on what really matters (for Christians: God, His Kingdom, family, fellowship) and reducing the noise and clutter from your life. I think I would have to agree with the latter.

Maybe you’re on the same page as me, and are desiring to simplify your life, so that you can live a more Christ-centered life. If so, please share some ways you’ve been able to ‘de-clutter’!