When Less Is More
Blog written by Shelley Stringfellow
Minimalism and a minimalist lifestyle have become the new catch phrase in the past few years. It is said, when you remove the unnecessary stuff, you free up time and space to focus on the things that really matter in life. The famous organizer and author, Marie Kondo took that idea to a whole new level. Rule 6 of the KonMari Method says, “Keep only those things that speak to the heart and discard items that no longer spark joy. Thank them for their service-then let them go”.
Shelly Stringfellow, Blog Author
A few years ago, my husband and I became empty nesters. As our youngest son married and moved out of our home, it suddenly became apparent that we had way too much square footage in our lovely house. The entire second story was seldom used. It was time to downsize and move to a smaller place. We began sifting through all the childhood mementos; long-forgotten trophies, crayon-drawn pictures, unidentifiable craft projects. All had sentimental value but were they really sparking joy? It became my lot to make those heart-wrenching decisions to keep or discard. I ended up buying one trunk each for my two grown children and filling them with the treasures that I felt they would cherish. A handsewn quilt from their grandmother, dishes from their great-grandmother, school memories and pictures, those precious heirlooms that can never be replaced. But so much of what was left was just “stuff”, those things that accumulate over the years and decades of our lives. Things that we had moved from house to house and really were just taking up space but not useful anymore.
There is definite value in taking stock of your home, your life, your heart, and your spiritual walk from time to time and deciding what can be removed and what is an irreplaceable heirloom. Hebrews 12:1-ESV tells us, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us”. The previous chapter, Hebrews 11, had listed all the Heroes of Faith and how they had been commanded to leave the comforts of home and step out into the unknown. They had to be willing to let go of all the “stuff” that seemed so important to be able to grasp the and fulfill the greater calling God had for their lives. It was time to let go of the good to grab ahold of the great.
What is cluttering your heart and mind or weighing down your walk with God today? Maybe long-held offenses, disappointments, fear or regrets? It could even be a desire to people-please, pride, self-doubt or jealousy. Sometimes, we can walk through life dragging a suitcase full of worry, unmet expectations, bitterness or even hatred because of past situations and circumstances. Take inventory of your heart. If there are things that don’t spark the joy of the Lord, you need to clear those away and place those under the blood of Jesus. Pray the prayer of Psalm 51:10, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me”. When we do the hard work of surrendering those things to God, we make room for His Spirit to move into those empty spaces we’ve now created. When we have less of the world and its stresses and chaos, we can have more of God’s joy and peace. We can truly experience “When Less Is More”.
Shelly Stringfellow is the blessed wife of one husband, Roy, for the past 42 years, proud mother of two exceptional adult children and Mimi to three of the cutest grandbabies on the planet. She attends Lighthouse Church in Princeton, Texas, where her son-in-law and daughter pastor. She is also the founder and administrator of the Proverbs 31-Women of Worth Facebook group.