Ah, the new year is here. Whether you are making New Year’s resolutions, assuming natural changes that will happen solely because it’s a new year, or stressed out by another year, it’s here, and it’s already started.

Most people start the new year with good intentions, only to find themselves falling back into established (bad) habits by March. We think change will be easy, but change is often dependent upon us “finding our why.” Why do we want to change? How will this change better our life? The answers to these questions will keep us going as we make changes. If we do not “find our why,” or the reason we want to change in the first place, change is difficult to sustain.

The Anti-Glam

Making changes to simplify our lives and focus on what matters most– to be more of who God wants us to be– follows the same pattern. We must “find our why” and lean on God when the going gets tough. Many decluttering social media posts make it look glamorous and easy, with beautiful display containers to boot.

But simplifying your material possessions, time obligations, media usage, etc. is typically not glamorous or easy at all. It includes facing those unsavory parts of yourself that fell into unhelpful consumption and accumulation habits in the first place– and changing how you think about yourself, your place in the world, and how God is calling you to live differently.

“New Every Morning”

The good news is that God is helping us, every day. We don’t have to change on our own steam (which is a good thing because honestly, we wouldn’t be able to do it). God is with us, helping us change and giving us guidance when it gets difficult.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
    God’s mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23)

When we make mistakes or go backwards (And we will make mistakes and go backwards at some point! No one does anything perfectly, especially when new changes are being attempted), we can remind ourselves that God’s mercies are new every morning. It’s a new day, and a new opportunity to live into God’s invitation to live simply and be who God is calling us to be.

Relying on God

We can rely on God when the going gets tough and when it seems too difficult to live counter-culturally within a consumer culture.

“Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done.” ~C.S. Lewis, Letters to Malcom: Chiefly on Prayer

Relying on God means letting go of our need for control, and letting God guide and help us. God may show us a different way to change than we originally expected, and we can listen for that guidance as we seek to simplify our lives.

How is God guiding you and showing you new mercies every day as you make changes and focus on what’s most important?

Did you like this post? Check out the Christian Minimalism book!