Be More With Less

“Less is more and more is less. One righteous will outclass fifty wicked, For the wicked are moral weaklings, but the righteous are God-strong.” – Psalm 37:16-17 (MSG).

I don’t know about you, but I regularly reflect on “how much is enough” in my life. How much money is enough for one to be happy? How much stuff does one need to be content? The constant quest for “stuff” can dominate our thinking consciously or subconsciously, pushing God to the sidelines. Need proof that we tend to have too much stuff?  Consider the following: we hold garage sales where we sell clothes, furniture, decorations, cookware, tools, books, toys, basically anything not being used. If we don’t have the time to do a garage sale then we donate all the stuff we don’t use to Goodwill or the Salvation Army.   

We work long hours for the money we spend on technology, clothing, toys, furniture, decorations, cars, and hopefully someday, a bigger house in a nicer neighborhood. While we don’t believe the purpose of life is to chase possessions, our calendar and checkbook sure seem to tell a different story.

Sometimes less is more. Typically, we have excess. We don’t need all that we have. If you haven’t yet experimented in living with less, you might compare it to dieting: a feeling of constant deprivation and craving what you’ve said no to. But in reality, the opposite is true. It is natural to be nervous about clearing out all our extra stuff, such as clothes. But typically, we found out that we enjoy the simplicity that we actually use the clothes we do have. When you’ve gotten rid of what you don’t need and set out to only keep what’s necessary, that insistent voice inside badgering you to buy more is quietly silenced.

When Jesus taught His disciples, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:33-34), He was inviting us to a freedom of heart that can be only experienced when our hearts are no longer tethered to all we own and when we learn the principle that less is more. Owning less may be one of the most significant steps you’ll ever take to the abundant life Jesus promised.

Discussion Questions:

1. What does less is more mean in your life?
2. Do you have excess in your life? What would your life be like without that excess?
3. What can we do this week to focus on what matters?