Reflections

How often do you expect to buy clothes in a year? I’m not a huge shopper, but I expect to purchase clothing for myself 3-5 times per year. This is rarely because I have a need for new items. But I enjoy thrifting or finding a good deal. It feels nice to get something new and enjoy the feeling of a new color or style addition. Every once in a while I might go through and donate things that don’t fit quite right anymore, but for the most part I just accumulate more– and I expect this in my life.

The question is: Why? Why do we assume we will, and even should, accumulate more clothing? 

As I was driving this week, no longer in the commitment of silent drives, I was listening to my simplicity-themed playlist and two songs came on one after another that highlighted the contrast between them. First, “Take Up Your Cross” by Jon Guerra put music to the words of Jesus that anyone who wants to follow Jesus must deny herself, take up her cross, and follow. And if anyone claims to worship God, she should give all away, take up her cross, and follow Him. This is one of those moments where I feel the words of the disciples deep in my bones: “This is a hard teaching; who can hear it?” (John 6:60).

This song was followed by “A Man Named Job” by Ryan Proudfoot. I highly recommend giving this song a listen. It essentially sums up the whole book of Job and his shockingly faithful response in the midst of losing everything. He cries out, “All I need is you!” 

Somehow, though, Job’s faithfulness feels easier to me. It is significantly greater suffering to lose everything– first all the financial security and then all of his loved ones– but it wasn’t his choice. It was taken. So he clung to God. On the other hand, Jesus’s words are an exhortation to freely give up everything. Give up my comfort. Give up my pursuit of earthly gain. Give away my wealth and luxuries so that others can be provided for. Certainly, it’s noble. But this is a hard teaching. 

I want to be this type of person. I’m not. But that’s the thing about spiritual disciplines– they’re a means of grace, through long obedience in the same direction, to help you become the type of person who gives up everything to follow Jesus with real joy. And in simplicity, we participate in the stripping of excess. Then, we allow the Spirit to reshape what we see. 

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus preaches using a Hebrew idiom about the eye being the lamp of the body (Matthew 6:22-23). This is a way of talking about how we see the world. Healthy eyes see the world with abundance, aware of God’s provision everywhere (look at the birds of the air… see the lilies?). Whereas unhealthy eyes can’t see clearly. They only see scarcity and live accordingly, grasping and toiling, never content with their current provision. 

Instead of assuming we will accumulate, in applying simplicity, we practice seeing how our needs have already been met. Then we begin to realize we actually have more than enough and can share. So simplicity is not only a discipline of subtraction, but one of reflection and gratitude, of “healing our eyes.”

Practice

Stuff isn’t just stuff. Just as we grasp for it, it grasps for us. Our things wrap their fingers around our hearts, grow into nooks and crannies, and become emotional. Clothing is a big part of this. Clothing is interwoven with our insecurities, our self-expression, our status. Our closets grow as we hope to someday fit in that size again, simultaneously motivating us and shaming us. And so in getting rid of clothes, we have a lot to work through. Furthermore, buying things can be a way we cope with negative emotions, reward ourselves, or simply surrender without consideration to whatever norms the Kingdom of the World has established. 

So in simplicity, there is a concept called a “finalized wardrobe.” In reality, it’s a nearly finalized wardrobe because things will get holes in them or stop fitting. Women may get pregnant or you may go through major weight changes. But the idea is this: you identify how many items you need in each category (underwear, warm weather clothes, cold weather clothes, workout gear, work attire, etc.) and you pare down your closet to that. With a finalized wardrobe, you stop assuming you will buy more. There's no need to accumulate when you already have what you need. This number may evolve over the years as the Holy Spirit heals your eyes and you realize you need less than you thought.

The fruit of this is abundant. By purchasing less often, you can afford to buy quality items that are good for the planet and the workers making them, supporting brands that pay living wages and have sustainable practices. You also can be more self-reflective, only keeping wardrobe items you absolutely love. You’ll feel good in all of them because you don’t have to settle on any of them. Your budget is freed up to be more generous. Your mind is freed up to be less distracted and envious. It’s a discipline that leads to joy, even if the initial process feels like cutting out a tumor as we disentangle our worth and identity from our closet. So here’s a way to do it.

REFLECT on what you have.

Take a picture of your closet and drawers.

Notice. Take a long look.
How do you feel looking at it? 
How do you feel about the number of items?

PRIORITIZE what is needed and helpful.

Invite God into the process. Ask God,
“What do you want me to know about this?
How can I honor you with my closet? 
What is an appropriate number of items to own per season?” 
Then take 2-3 minutes to quietly listen.
Note: God’s voice is one of love, conviction, and empowerment. Reject any shame, condemnation, comparison, envy, or hopelessness because that is from the enemy. Simplicity is about partnering with God to regain your freedom from the bondage of accumulation and distraction.

Write it out. Consider making a spreadsheet of your needs and recording how many you think you need. How many socks? Jeans? Sweatshirts?
For the extra nerdy friends: You could even record the brand, price, and date of new items as you try to determine if that’s a brand you want to continue purchasing from based on how it performs.

SUBTRACT the excess.

Take EVERYTHING out. Throw it all into a giant pile so you can touch every single item, not letting anything escape consideration. (This is important!)

As you touch everything, consider:
Does this item spark joy?
Is this necessary to my life? Is it redundant?
Does this help me live well in the Kingdom of God?

Sort your pile into 5 smaller piles:
Keep
Give away
Sell
Throw away/recycle
Wait: When you hear yourself thinking “but I might need this someday…” ask if you’ve used it in the last 6 months. You can put it in the “Wait” box, to reevaluate in another 6 months, but most of our accumulation comes from these “someday” items that rarely or never get used.

REFLECT AGAIN. As you put all your “Keep” clothing away, consider:

What made you defensive or brought resistance? Why?
What brought joy or relief? Why?
Why do you accumulate items in the first place? Specifically, why did you buy the items you rarely or never wore?
Thank God for His provision through these clothes.

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?”

Matthew 6:28-30