Unattached

Source: holytrinity.com

Through the years, I have blogged about the ways I am downsizing and simplifying my life.

I've simplified my skin-care and cleaning routines.

I've recently downsized my closet and taken on the Project 333 wardrobe challenge.

But I've wrestled a bit with broadcasting this change of lifestyle on my blog for a few reasons...

First, I would never want to mislead you, dear reader, into thinking that owning less helps one attain some *higher* level of righteousness or intrinsically become a better person.

Secondly, I would never want to encourage you to place undue burdens on your life or be legalistic with the stuff that you own.

To be sure, decreasing the number of items in my closet and spending less money on cleaning supplies does NOT make me more righteous in God's sight or a better person.

However, I have found that this lifestyle shift has brought me closer to God and more ready to obey Him, and that's what I'd like to discuss on today's post.

I've been working to sort this out in my head for awhile now: How does owning less draw me closer to God if it in no way affects my right-standing with Him?

This came into better focus for me the other day when I was reading a passage from Kelly Minter's All Things New bible study on 2 Corinthians.  She was analyzing Paul's discussion of our earthly bodies being tents--temporary dwelling places that pale to the glory they will have when they become incorruptible, heavenly bodies (see 2 Cor 5).  Kelly then referred to a passage in Hebrews which describes Abraham's faith (see Hebrews 11) and she wrote:

"Tents aren't that complicated to set up or tear down and they're temporary in nature.  Abraham and his family were longing for the permanent dwelling place they knew the Lord had promised to them.  In the meantime, they were going to keep things as simple, flexible, and unattached as possible." --p. 73 (emphasis mine)

Those words just lept off the page for me:

Simple.
Flexible.
Unattached.

Yes, THAT is what the Lord has been challenging me with, dear friend!

It is not to strive to own a pre-determined (and arbitrary!) number of possessions.

It is not to glory in the fact that I have an uncluttered home or can pack light.

Instead, it is to be better available to do His will.

As I am flexible and unattached to my material possessions (realizing that He owns it all anyways!), I can be deliriously generous with all that I am entrusted with here on Earth by Him.

So I wanted to reach out to you, sweet friend, and set the record straight.

You and I do not attain our righteousness by owning less or simplifying our lifestyles.  However, owning less can free us to become more willing and available to be obedient to God's call on our lives, so we can better love and serve Him in innumerable ways.

Oh, I hope that we would listen closely to His call to obey Him in ALL areas of our lives, dear friend!  And may we both go forth in obedience and trust Him...with it all...and through it all!