The Problem with Minimalism

My husband and I are in the middle of watching "Minimalism" on Netflix (it takes us several nights to watch anything over an hour long....life with kids I guess). I like the idea. You have only what you need, and it clears your space, and your life of clutter. Because you have less stuff to maintain, then you naturally have more time to do what you enjoy, and spend time with people you love. Sounds great!

The part that intrigues me the most is minimizing the stress and chaos that too many possessions creates. I am a person who feels chaotic and crabby when my surroundings are cluttered and messy. I am much more calm when things are neat (don't get me wrong here....if you've read my recent posts about my home, you know that it is not neat most of the time).

But there is one critical thing that I long to tell the minimalists in the documentary.

Nothing will fulfill you like Christ will.

Throughout the documentary, many of the people say how they had this gaping hole inside of them, and they tried to fill it with stuff, stuff and more stuff. That, they argue, is an American problem. I have no doubt that it is. To solve this problem in their lives, they got rid of most of their possessions in order to free themselves to do what they want to do. This sounds great, and maybe it works for a time.

But, aren't they really just replacing one god (stuff) for another god (minimalism)? Sure, they are "happy" now, but won't that happiness wear off eventually too, and then they need to search for the next strategy to bring them happiness once again?

Jesus said these words in John 15:9-11, "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments , you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full."

Perhaps you've watched this documentary too, and have implemented some of the habits that it promotes. Great! I may try to eliminate some of the things that clutter my home, but with the mindset that this minimalism thing is not what is going to fulfill me.

Only Christ can do that.

Faith and Feelings

I've been following a Facebook discussion this past week that has been entertaining at best, but mostly unsettling. It has to do with a pastor who creates amazing and (literally) unbelievable experiences for his church. This online conversation has been heated, and intense at times as everyone involved is very passionate about the "side" that they are on.

This church is drawing many people, and the argument is that if his methods are working, then why question it? If he is bringing people to Jesus, then what's wrong? Why the controversy?

One of the big issues I see with this particular pastor's methods is that is plays on the emotions of the people. It gives them such an incredible experience, that surely it must be God doing these things. I'm sure that for those there, who believe in the charades, it is an amazing experience.

But the problem is that faith is not about feelings. It is not based on experience.

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1

We do not need extravegant experiences in order for faith to be real. This method of drawing people to faith is dangerous, because is bases faith on emotions. What happens if the feelings fade, and the experiences don't happen very frequently? (On a side note, these same questions can be asked of our marriages. We see often in our culture what happens to couples who don't "feel" anything for each other anymore.)

I'll tell you what can happen. It can cause a person to question their faith, and even the existance of God. But the truth is, God still exists, and is still as active as ever even when we don't "feel" his presence, or experience magnificent emotional highs.

This is particularly dangerous with today's emerging adults and teenagers, because they base so much of their reality on experience. If these worship experiences are being presented as reality, and that's what they base their faith on, then their faith is bound to falter at one point or another.

I had a conversation recently with a young woman who said that she was questioning her faith because she had never really felt God in her life. This is precisely the danger that I'm talking about.

We cannot base our faith on our feelings, because "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" Jeremiah 17:9

Will we have great experiences with God? Of course. He is God, and He is awesome by nature, so we will experience great things with Him, but we will also experience difficulties, and periods in life when we "feel" distant from God. If we ground our faith in the scripture, and who God says He is, and not on our human emotions, then during these times of hardship our faith will not falter.

God is always God. No matter what.