What A Minimalist Can Learn From Birth And Death

When it comes to being a minimalist or simplifying your life, you need to make a lot of decisions. Decisions like:

• What should I keep and what needs to go?
• When was the last time I used this, and will I really ever use it in the future?
• Does this possession add value or subtract meaning to my life?
• How can I best manage minimalism so that my things don’t manage me?

Yes, there are hundreds (if not thousands!) of these to consider when downsizing life, working towards reducing your financial debt, or even decluttering the kitchen counter top. So where should you start as a minimalist? I’m so glad you asked.

A Moment Of Soul-Searching

I conducted a funeral service this past week for a 98-year old woman who was dearly beloved by her large family. She was also a Christian. I haven’t had the privilege of knowing many people who are close to 100 years old, but speaking to Loretta was always a pleasure.

On the morning of both the graveside and memorial services that took place later that day, I was reflecting about life and…particularly…the meaning of it. I was thinking about what is most important in life. What are the things we should focus most of our time on? What do I want to be remembered for? Why I am here on this floating ball of dirt?

I thought about many things, but one thing stuck in my mind all day. I rolled it around in my head and used it as the main idea in my message to the large group of friends and family gathered, each having their own questions about life and death, and where is God in all of this.

And that was it. What I need to focus on more is life and death. Or rather, birth and death.

You see, you will never in your life be more like you were at the moment of your birth than you will be at the moment of your death. We enter and depart this world having both zero possessions and only relationships that matter.

Possessions

1. Possessions At Birth. We own nothing when we’re born. We inhale breath for the very first time and have zero widgets to our name. We bring nothing through the birth canal with us. We cradle no shiny trinkets in our tender arms. Our little fists are clenched shut, but we’ve nothing to hold on to. Nothing, that is, that can be sold on eBay to the highest bidder.

2. Possessions At Death. We take nothing with us into the afterlife. We may have 401k’s, storage units packed with possessions, and large estates that an attorney will need to distribute when we’re gone, but even the rings on our fingers do not travel with us. At death, we exhale the last breath and meet our Creator face-to-face.

Relationships

1. Relationships At Birth. When we enter this world, all we have is our mother, our father, or a special caretaker. Someone to meet our physical and emotional needs. Someone to feed us, to touch and caress our skin, and provide for our daily concerns. The relationship that a baby has with someone like his or her mother is the most important thing a newborn baby can have. In fact, it is essential for sustaining life.

2. Relationships At Death. You can’t take anything with you, except your relationships. Or rather, your relationship, as in singular. We leave friends and family behind, but one relationship is taken with us into eternity. It is the relationship you have with God. What type of relationship you have with God will mean everything to your eternal destiny. Therefore, what you believe about God here in this world is the most important thing about you.

“Reflection” Can Make You A Better Minimalist

In summary, think about these statements and ask yourself whether or not you are focused on the things that truly matter most. Or, are you too caught up with worrying about shiny things that rust and moth will eventually destroy?

• Are the possessions in my house hindering me from having the best relationship with my family that I can have?
• What things in life do I spend most of my time on? And, is that a good or bad thing?
• What areas of my life do I need to declutter in order to advance my relationships (i.e. work, social, personal, TV time, internet, etc.)?
• What things do I own that are hindering me from having a better relationship with God (or a relationship at all)?
• If God walked around my house, what would He think about all my stuff?
• Do any of my loved ones feel that I own something that is more meaningful to me than they are to me?
• What changes should I make today that will enable me to live a happier and more productive life?

What Should You Do Next? Allow Me To Suggest Two Things:

1. Please leave a brief comment or suggestion below and let me know what you think about this article, whether good, bad or otherwise.
2. Look down. See those social sharers? Would you mind tweeting, sharing or “liking” it to your social media followers? (You’re awesome, by the way. Thanks!)

* Image credit: creative1the (Creative Commons)