Unless you’ve been living under a rock, chances are you’ve heard of Marie Kondo and her KonMari method of “tidying up.”
It all started with her best-seller The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Then her second book was born, Spark Joy. Now, Marie Kondo’s tidying method has reached even more people through her Netflix show, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo.
There are some great things about this pop culture phenomenon:
- Kondo– and her KonMari method– shed light on society’s need to simplify our possessions. In a world where we constantly hear more is better, she shows a different way of living.
- Both in her books and in the Netflix show, it’s obvious that decluttering and simplifying is WORK– but it’s WORTH IT. Kondo is clear that life can get better through simplification.
- Kondo has some extremely helpful tips on how to fold and store things, once one simplifies one’s possessions. I kid you not, her way of folding clothes is life-changing.
- Last, and certainly not least, Kondo shows that young women can be enthusiastic, passionate about their work, and experts in their field.
Even with these great things, the KonMari method still did not work for me.
I was an early KonMari attempter, when her first book came out. I read her book, and followed her method to the letter (minus talking to my possessions). I got rid of a ton of stuff at the time, which was great. But…. it didn’t stick. I still fell back into bad habits and kept accumulating stuff.
It wasn’t until I discovered minimalism and connected it to my Christian faith that simplifying and focusing on what truly matters worked. The KonMari method is not minimalism. KonMari is a method for decluttering things. Minimalism is a lifestyle for decluttering one’s life.
Here are three major reasons why the KonMari method didn’t work for me:
1) The basis of the KonMari method is in the Shinto religion.
When I first realized that Marie Kondo’s system wasn’t working for me, I did some research on her background. I found out that she used to work in a Shinto temple. Shintoism is a Japanese religion that is based in rituals and recognizing the divine in the natural world. Margaret Dilloway wrote this helpful article explaining Kondo’s Shinto background and how Westerners react to it.
Once you know about Kondo’s background and her Shinto faith, it’s obvious that the KonMari method is suffused with Shintoism. She greets the living space, thanks inanimate objects for their labor, and taps on books to wake them up. These are not the actions of a crazy women– this is a woman living out her religious faith. And she encourages those who follow her method to do the same.
The problem becomes when those trying to follow the KonMari method are Christian. I am not of the impression that as Christians, we can only do Christian things– but it starts to get worrisome if we begin to follow the tenants of another religion (even without knowing it!) when Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Since those of the Shinto faith believe that multiple deities exist in things, much of Shintosim is incompatible with Christianity. In Christianity, we have one God whom we worship. Followers of the Shinto faith worship millions of spirits/gods. Put simply, Shintoism is not Christianity.
For Christians, the decluttering part of KonMari is fine; the Shinto aspects of KonMari are not. If Christians want to use Marie Kondo’s method, they must figure out what aspects are compatible with their own Christian faith, and which can be ignored and/or altered.
2) The KonMari method inadvertently encourages an emotional attachment to stuff.
When I started my Christian minimalism journey, I found out very quickly that my emotional attachment to my material possessions was out of control. I knew that I had to lessen my emotional attachment to stuff or I would continue to keep things around that weren’t adding value to my life.
Knowing that Kondo bases her method in her religious tradition of Shintoism, it’s obvious that her method of touching each object to see if it “sparks joy” is a spiritual moment for her. For Kondo, this moment of joy is a spiritual experience, one that helps people decide whether to keep something or not based on if that object brings them joy.
But here’s the problem– for Americans who do not share the Shinto religion, touching an object to see if it “sparks joy” becomes making our decisions based on emotion. Because of the cultural and religious differences, the KonMari method encourages Americans to ascribe emotion (“joy”) to their material possessions. And not only that, by only keeping those objects that “spark joy,” one’s objects are infused with an even larger scale of emotion– when most of us would do much better by trying to detach our emotions from our possessions.
Sadly, basing our decluttering decisions on our emotions can cause what Jesus warned us against– we end up placing our treasure in things that “moth and rust consume.” As followers of Jesus, we are called to “store up our treasures in heaven.” (Matthew 6:19-20). Our joy does not come from our possessions. Our joy comes from Jesus.
3) The KonMari method is a one and done process.
Both in her books and in her show, Kondo says over and over that her method should be a one time event, and then after that big change, the person is done. In the show, she even congratulates her clients and tells them that they have “graduated the KonMari tidying method.” Graduation means one has finished.
It’s important to note that the show ends right after the big change of decluttering, and we don’t get to see what happens afterwards. This pinpoints a major problem in the KonMari method, which I mentioned earlier– KonMari is a method for decluttering things. Minimalism is a lifestyle for decluttering one’s life.
The KonMari method focuses on simplifying personal possessions, with the assumption that doing so will automatically simplify one’s life. But by only focusing on possessions, those following the KonMari method miss out on what minimalism tries to actually do– an intentional simplification of ALL aspects of life.
The KonMari method does not address a busy schedule, nor does it directly help someone figure out what aspects of life are most important. The method sometimes does this inadvertently, but it is not something that is dealt with directly in the way that minimalism does.
In addition, the KonMari method does not address how to continue to grow and improve in a new simplified lifestyle. Unhelpful consumer habits that got one into the cluttered mess in the first place are not addressed. How to continue the process of living more simply is not addressed. In fact, there is no follow-up for how living a minimal life is an ongoing process– not something that’s done once and you’re good to go.
Living the Christian minimalist lifestyle is a constant journey of spiritual growth with Jesus. It is a continual path of discipleship and growing into who God wants us to be. We are called to “run with endurance the race set before us, looking to Jesus as the pioneer and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1). Christian minimalism is a marathon, not a sprint.
When in doubt, Christian minimalism!
Marie Kondo has shown us that having too much stuff hinders us, and that’s a good thing. But the Christian minimalist lifestyle is a much more all-encompassing way to simplify and focus on what’s most important. How is God calling you to a more Christian minimalist lifestyle?
20 Comments
Rebecca Armstrong
January 31, 2019 - 8:40 amI completely agree. About the only thing I got from Kondo was an amazing way of folding my clothes. 🙂 The more I watched the show, the more unsettled I became with her Shinto beliefs infusing her methodology. Thankful for the Holy Spirit’s prompting!
Anneke Ieda
January 31, 2019 - 8:50 amThanks, Becca! I never thought of it from the Christian Minimalist perspective– I have enjoyed watching the Netflix show. It’s been good to “go through” our possessions lately. You are so right, though!
Donna
January 31, 2019 - 9:05 amI agree completely. It’s stuff. I don’t want to thank it or worship it.ni want to reduce it and focus on my Lord and Savior and what He expects of me. Thank you.
Maria Deignan
January 31, 2019 - 9:45 amThank you for pin pointing what bothered me so much about the – if it doesn’t bring you joy then get rid of it- means of de-cluttering. My joy cannot be found in material items. Yes- how to fold clothes is altering my dresser space!
Brittany
January 31, 2019 - 10:09 amI agree! I loved that you pointed out the positives in the show. I found the folding to be a great time saver with my kids clothes, and I loved that she addressed sentimental items. However, I felt cautious when she addressed the house. When my kids asked me about it, I told them that we should pray & thank God for providing us with a warm home- even if it is a little cluttered. As far as possessions go, we could pray that God blesses the person that finds it at the thrift store or shelter. When we go through our stuff, we ask questions like…Do I really like it? Can I fit in it now? Do I already have something similar that I like better? Is it broken? As far as books & movies go…Can we easily get these at the library or does it stream often?
Diane Luderman
January 31, 2019 - 10:19 amI got the “uh oh” feeling when delving into her method of decluttering. I learned how to fold clothes, but can’t and don’t touch my possessions to wake them or talk to them. I have learned through self development that attaching emotions to possessions usually means there is a deeper seeded issue in my personal life which I need to confront.
Tanya
January 31, 2019 - 10:25 amHello – I have decided to be thoughtful and share my thoughts and feelings, instead of just unsubscribing from your newsletter, which has been supportive of my journey to reduce reliance on things outside of myself for validation. Your expressed view that Shintoism is in conflict with the Christian faith is triggering me. I do not believe that the values of Shintoism are in conflict with our Christian ideals.
Having spent time in Japan and witnessing how Shintoism infuses the culture with gentleness, compassion, grace, and honoring of all things, I am so grateful to witnessing Shinto practitioners and how that has influenced my own spirituality and rooting in my Christian faith. I believe that Christianity teaches us to delight in our humanness – to recognize and honor that we are spiritual beings having a human experience – not to worship or create more emotional attachment to possessions, but instead to enjoy the natural wonder of creation, the inherent good in all, the value of our relationship to people, places, and things, and how our humanness influences our presence and awareness to God being everywhere, in all things. Don’t we subscribe to the idea of God being with us always, of residing within each human, of loving every living thing on this earth? I don’t see how that is so far from the way that another culture has gotten in touch with the Divine.
I don’t believe that by creating more divisions between organized religions we are living out our mission to demonstrate our faith in a loving, inclusive, forgiving, compassionate God. I think that by embracing the beauty and deep truth that coalesces in Buddhism, Shintoism, Islam, and other orientations of faith and spirituality fulfills God’s calling for us to be His hands, feet, eyes, and heart in the world.
I hope that I have given you and those who read this something to reflect on – not react to – but to use more as a journaling or sharing exercise – I don’t really want to engage in further conversation here as I don’t want to fall into being defensive or further triggered, but thank you for creating the space for me to share my heartfelt thoughts.
I believe we should open our arms with love, the way Jesus opened his arms on the hard wood of the cross to be a mentor, guide, example to all humans. Peace be upon you and may our collective heart be softened and expanded to include all of God’s children, whom He loves equally.
Sheri
January 31, 2019 - 11:39 amThank you , Tanya. You put the words to my thoughts as well, as I read this blog post. Beautifully written in love.
Katherine
November 14, 2019 - 9:36 pmHi Tanya,
I too feel that you have summarised my thoughts in how we should approach shintoism and other beliefs as Christians. Religion is based in how we subscribe ourselves in connection with a vast universe, and understanding and accepting how others approach their spirituality is what God would like to see in us.
G
May 10, 2022 - 10:35 pmNo, syncretism is definitely something to avoid. We cannot go to the Ashera pole of Shintoism and think it’s fine.
Joanna
November 1, 2022 - 6:24 amHi Tanya! I admire how you’ve expressed your thoughts with such gentleness & respect. Something I am (and many many others for sure are) still growing in. I think Becca has specifically referred to the aspects of Shintoism which do not agree with Christianity (worshipping many false gods instead of the One True God). I think it is safe for me to presume that Becca definitely agrees that we should live with peace, compassion and grace, as these are fruits of God’s Spirit in us.
But we can love & respect everyone while standing firm on the Gospel that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the Cross to be our Saviour, to take the punishment for our sins on Himself, so that when we put our faith in Him as our Lord & Saviour, we are forgiven and we are reconciled with God the Father. Becca has clearly agreed that we can learn from MariKon but we should discern and reject anything that is not biblical (talking to in animate object, etc.).. Truth of God’s Word inevitably divides. But we can and should honor & respect all people even those we disagree with, which you have beautifully & humbly modeled to us through your comment. 🙂
Matthew 10:34-39 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
Brenda
January 31, 2019 - 9:27 pmThanks for the very concise article. I have been troubled by this fad of minimalism that seems to prevail among certain people. It’s as if it is almost a pride issue, how little they can do without shows how righteous they are. On the other side of the road is the ditch of people following KonMari which is completely un-biblical based on the fact that Jesus is the only way to heaven and those that worship the creation and do obeisance to it instead of the Creator will be lost.
Amber
February 12, 2019 - 6:32 amThank you for sharing this. We were actually working on moving to a new house when I found her show. I love everything about the show the tiding part except the greeting the house and waking the books up and so on. She does have a peace about her. But honestly being a Christian watching her show. I know my true JOY AND PEACE come only from JESUS! When I do some of her methods I use Scripture from the Holy Bible our instruction manual for life. Verses like- 19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21
Matthew 23:35, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” The word of God will never pass away!
We keep our focus on Jesus while decluttering our lives and he has also been decluttering my heart. In the end Jesus is our only hope. Her religion will not save her soul or her followers no matter how peaceful and graceful it is. God is love and we love God and others but have to be honest too. Thank you so much for sharing this. Love it. ♥️♥️♥️♥️
Bea
March 24, 2019 - 11:11 amI’m thankful God allowed me to find this article when I searched for Christian minimalism.
For the past several years I’ve been searching to simplify our lives so our family can focus on what should truly matter in our lives as believers in Christ. Our relationship with Christ, family, and ourselves as well as others.
I’ve done the Marie Kondos method. (Drew the line at talking to inatimate objects, felt like image worshipping). However, in my journey I’ve come across inspiration from many different sources. Mostly non believers because I’ve not found too many believers who are “into” this. Most are looking for that “abundant Life” expecting God to give them more and more of his “riches in glory” here on Earth.
Being a believer in Christ I recognized the contradictions to my faith in many of them. Most glaringly from Marie Kondos. I am working on beginning a blog in my own life where I will share my take on it and how I’ve gleaned knowledge from others and adjusted it to be obedient to my Christian faith. I believe God can send us His messages from and through all sorts of sources. I take what I’m able and learn from others words and experiences what I can apply that aligns itself with God’s word and then toss away the rest.
Peg
April 28, 2020 - 8:35 pmYou articulated what nagged at me about Marie Kondo. Thank you!
Gerry Andersen
December 8, 2020 - 3:29 pmThis is REALLY insightful. Thank you. It reminded me of so many things. Here are a couple…
1. I recently read a book called “Can Evangelicals Learn from World Religions?” by Gerald McDermott (I’m an “evangelical” tho the label has fallen on hard times.) McDermott’s answer is “yes”. You did a great job of illustrating this in your article. But you show how to “chew the meat and spit out the bones” with Kondo’s ideas.
2. There are things that affect our lives, and then there are seismic underpinnings. You took us from the surface level to the tectonic. I appreciated that, because it’s not easy for my brain to really latch onto the deeper stuff.
3. In recent years, God has been taking me deeper into sabbath rest. I’ve found it to be great for minimalizing while seeing God maximize in certain ways that I’d have never imagined.
Thanks again.
Olusakin Isaacs-Sodeye
March 22, 2021 - 3:23 pmYes, Sabbath rest is one thing God has been talking to me about in living a simpler life. Living in His unforced rhythms of grace is another. In terms of an all-encompassing book on living in rhythm, I highly recommend Rhythms of Renewal by Rebekah Lyons. It’s biblical, practical, and written with much love and truth.
Olusakin Isaacs-Sodeye
March 22, 2021 - 3:21 pmThis is brilliant. Thank you Becca, for reviewing her method in a clear and Biblical way.
Diego Portillo
February 4, 2022 - 2:59 pmThis is amazing. I’m just watching an episode where Kondo’s client is a Christian woman. It was weird for me to see the woman and her pastor join Marie in her ritual. Of course, it’s a Netflix series, but I wondered how a Christian may benefit from Kondo, and I ended up here. Thank you, Becca!
Abigail
April 4, 2023 - 4:13 amThank you for writing this out so beautifully! I watched a few episodes of Tidying Up, and did enjoy it, but the way you express a difference between the KonMarie method and minimalism is a helpful distinction.