Letting go of material belongings creates space for God. Clearing your life of excess creates space for God. Reducing your schedule of busyness creates space for God. Minimalism opens space for God. If you believe in God, perhaps you should become a minimalist.
Let’s face it, when you have lots of toys to play with, your focus will be on the toys. When you have too many responsibilities, your focus will be on your work. We focus on what consumes us. When we let outside sources consume us, that’s where our focus will be. But when we reduce the clutter, we open up room for the ultimate inside source: God.
I’m Not Religious, But I Believe In A Creative God
I believe that God is found within us rather than a pie-in-the-sky fairy tale. I’ll be first to admit that I’ve slacked in my focus on God within me. Why? Because my life, quite possibly like yours, is busier than it used to be.
When I was younger, I worked part time and lived in a trailer. I was able to spend a lot of time focusing on God. Now I have a full-time job. I’m a single dad to a ten-year-old girl. I own a house. I operate a few blogs. My life is more cluttered than it used to be. As an intentional minimalist, I’m making a conscious effort to reduce that clutter. As I reduce clutter, I make more space for God.
Intentional Minimalism Opens Space For God
- When you let go of idols, you open up space for God: Many of the things you glorify in life are really idols. You put more importance on media, smartphones, computers, cars, guns, music, sex, and a plethora of other things before you take time each day to focus on God. When you make an effort to live minimally, you let go of those idols. This allows you to take time to focus on the God who lives within you.
- When we clear our schedule we open up space for God: When your schedule is stuffed full of deadlines and appointments, you leave no time for God. You become so busy chasing busyness itself that God gets stuffed further back on your list of important daily needs. When you clear your schedule of unneeded busyness, you open up time and space to focus inward on God.
There’s One More Step
You have to make an appointment. I know I just said we need to cut back on appointments, but this is a different kind of appointment. Your appointment with God comes in the form of daily time away from everything else life throws at you. Here are some ideal times to spend with the God who lives within you:
- Early mornings: Spend time in meditation or prayer.
- In the garden: As you do simple tasks in your yard or garden, give thanks.
- As you walk: Take a daily walk and make the awesomeness of creation your focus.
- In the wilderness: Go to wild, untamed places. There’s space for God there.
- In the evening: Before you sleep you can pray or meditate.
- In the open space you create: Create an open space in your home, a space for God
Intentional minimalism is an effort to reduce living to simple essentials. When you live at this level, you open up space for God. Start today. Find ways to unclutter your life, and find time to focus on the God who dwells within you.
