A Satisfying Life

At one point early in Jesus’s teaching years, a young official approached him with a weighty question. “Good Teacher,” he asked Jesus, “what must I do to deserve eternal life?” (Luke 18:18, MSG). 

Jesus’s response came as a surprise and a shock to everyone. He said, “Sell everything you own and give it away to the poor. You will have riches in heaven. Then come, follow me” (verse 22). 

Spirituality has shaped my pursuit and definition of minimalism. But minimalism has also shone a new light for me on some important spiritual teachings I have been familiar with for years. This one in particular. 

You see, I used to read what Jesus said here about giving away possessions and money, then think, That sounds like a recipe for a miserable life. Could that really be what he meant? In a world that often defines happiness in terms of the amount of stuff we can accumulate, Jesus’s instruction doesn’t make sense. On good days, I would add this rationale: Maybe if I sacrifice my stuff on earth today, I will receive rewards when I get to heaven. This must be the trade-off Jesus had in mind. 

But this thinking doesn’t line up with other things Jesus said. Jesus’s teaching was always about getting the most out of every day of our lives on earth as well as into eternity. 

As my family and I began to minimize our possessions and experience the benefits, Jesus’s words to the rich young official began to make new sense to me. Jesus was saying, “Sell your possessions and give to the poor because your things are an unnecessary burden to you! They are keeping you from experiencing the eternal, abundant life you are asking me about. Your things are keeping you from becoming all that you were intended to become.” 

Jesus’s instruction was not so much a test of the man’s faith or a call to superhuman sacrifice as it was a statement of truth. It was an invitation to a better way of life. The man’s possessions were keeping him from living the rich and satisfying life Jesus came to offer! Could that be true of you as well?

In what ways do your possessions keep you from enjoying life to the full? Think about just the past weekend. How did organizing stuff, fixing stuff, buying stuff, or not having money to buy the things you needed affect you?