What is Christian minimalism? Should a Christian be a minimalist?

It may then be asked, if we are to provide for our needy relatives, and to be such liberal givers, How is it to be done? The answer to this is, mainly by simplicity of living and by self-denial.

There are little touches here and there in the history of Israel, which tell of the beautiful simplicity of the lives in those days. We see Boaz, a mighty man of wealth, talking in all simplicity to the reapers, eating bread and parched corn among the reapers, and sleeping on a heap of barley at the time of harvest, and then when we compare this with our complex civilisation and the vast number of our fancied needs we are astounded. Surely it would be an immense thing, if we Christians would be as simple as possible. Simple in our food and in our raiment, in our furniture, and in our comforts, and without luxuries, simple in movements, manner of life, and in all our ways. It is the varied character of modern life, which makes it necessary for people to work so hard, and yet have so little to give away after all. We look at one another, and what one has we crave for, and instead of seeing what we can do without, we think of what we can have. Thus we act and react on one another in making our lives more complex, we increase our cares, our work, our anxieties, and are less and less free to serve the Lord.

Pray do not misunderstand. The Christian is not to be an ascetic or a recluse; godliness (or piety) owns that every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving, "for it is sanctified by the word of God and freely addressing Him" (1 Tim. 4:4-5, N.T.), "and that God has given us richly all things to enjoy." (1 Tim. 6:17.) Hospitality is enjoined, marriage is honoured, and family ties maintained. A good report of those that are without is a commendation, and a simple, unaffected life is shown to become the people of God, a life with nothing morose or unnatural about it.

Nevertheless, though this is the case, the same Scripture, which speaks so much of godliness, says "having food and raiment, let us be therewith content." (1 Tim. 6:8.) It is not that there is anything wrong in having this or that, but that the servant of God wishes to be as free as possible to serve his Master to the best advantage. "No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier." (2 Tim. 2:4.) He has resources and joys in the power of the Spirit to which the worldly man is a stranger, and it is a pleasure to him to deny himself, to serve the Lord, to do His will, and to be a giver. It is not therefore a hardship, but pleasing to him to live a simple life, to keep under his body, and to bring it into subjection, to be moderate in all things, to seek that his house and household may be simple and orderly, all for this same end that the Lord may be more efficiently served. It has been well said, "If our business or our possessions, be our object, we make them as large as we can; if they are our burden, which we have to carry, we make them as small as we can."

I beg you earnestly, dear brother, to be diligent about your temporal business. You know well that I am very far from wishing to see you leave your work, but what our hand finds to do we are to do it with our might. Limit your expenses at once, if they exceed your income, and arrange your business as a good steward of the Lord. Disorder in one's business is dishonouring to the gospel, as being careful to increase our wealth like the world dries up (one can do no more) the soul. The word has told us that it is the way and the root of every sort of evil. But the principles are simple; to live simply in order to be able to give of what one has, and to be faithful in one's own things, making use of them as having been entrusted to us to have in order to use them according to the Lord. The Book of Proverbs teaches us clearly in detail about these things.

But let us specially note the provision which God makes for the stranger. It is very simple — "food and raiment." This is enough for a true stranger, as the blessed apostle says to his son Timothy, "We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment, let us be therewith content."

Christian reader, let as ponder this. What a cure for restless ambition is here! What an antidote against covetousness! What a blessed deliverance from the feverish excitement of commercial life, the grasping spirit of the age in which our lot is cast! If we were only content with the divinely appointed provision for the stranger, what a different tale we should have to tell! How calm and even would be the current of our daily life! How simple our habits and tastes! How unworldly our spirit and style! What moral elevation above the self-indulgence and luxury so prevalent amongst professing Christians! We should simply eat and drink to the glory of God, and to keep the body in proper working order. To go beyond this, either in eating or drinking, is to indulge in "fleshly lusts which war against the soul."

Here we see the true use of the mercies of God. We need food and clothing and shelter, and these are all put within our reach. How shall we treat them? If our object is to obtain as much of these things as possible we have become their servants, and are amongst those who cannot face the foe, for we have begun to mind earthly things. If on the contrary these things are used only as God's mercies to us, and we are content with such things as we have, remembering that we are here not to accumulate treasure on earth but for the testimony of the Lord, then shall we prove ourselves to be fit vessels for His service.

We may use the world but not over-use it. Thankful for the mercies, the provisions, the reliefs, the accommodations, which human skill and industry supply, but be watchful that we step not into the temple of man-worship by wonder and admiration. We shall have Christ's world to admire for ever, after the pattern of the Queen of Sheba in Jerusalem.

Cooking and dietetics have been elevated to the dignity of a science; and we may be sure that some provision will be found in the word of God to guide the Christian housekeeper. "Take no thought what ye shall eat or drink, or wherewithal ye shall be clothed," guards on the one side from that selfish absorption in material things which makes them the summum bonum of human life. "Whether ye eat or drink, do all to the glory of God" will check both an intemperate indulgence in luxuries and a monkish abstemiousness "from meats which God hath created to be received with thankfulness of them which believe and know the truth."

We have read your letter with deep interest and we can enter into your feelings. We believe the Christian is bound to provide for his family, day by day — bound to educate his children and put them in the way of earning an honest livelihood. All this is so plainly commanded in the New Testament as to admit of no question. But these sacred duties leave wholly untouched the question of hoarding up and of speculation. We do not believe in these latter at all. We believe that hoarding covers the soul with rust and speculation fills the heart and mind with care and anxiety.

It must be entirely a question of individual faith. The Word is plain, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth.” If anyone says you ought to lay up, he must settle the matter with the Lord Christ. Ephesians 4:28 teaches us that the object for which a man is to work with his hands is, not to lay up, but that he may have to give to him that needs. It is a fine question to put to the heart — which would you rather have, a hoard of money or the living God? A genuine faith will not hesitate long about giving an answer. Back

Before leaving the first six verses let us notice the simplicity which is here enjoined upon believers; a simplicity all too much lost in these days of civilized artificiality. How striking a testimony would be rendered if we were marked by that brotherly love which expresses itself in hospitality and practical sympathy, by natural love preserved in undefiled honour, and by a holy contentment, the fruit of the realized presence of God, and the very opposite of the mad covetousness and discontent of the world.

We have to recognize that we are but life tenants of all that we possess. We entered the world with nothing; we go out with nothing. God may indeed give us much for our enjoyment but on the other hand we should be contented with just the necessaries of life — food and raiment. This sets a high standard before us; one that but few of us come up to, though the Apostle himself did. The exhortation of verse 8 is much needed by us all in these days.