Joshua Becker joins us for part 3 of our summer 9-part series on the Fruit of the Spirit. Joshua is the founder and editor of Becoming Minimalist, a website dedicated to inspiring others to find more life by owning less. Joshua lives in Peoria, Arizona with his wife, son, and daughter.

Conversation Notes:

• 3:51 - How cleaning out a garage led to exploring minimalism
• 6:00 - "Not only was everything I owned not making me happy, even worse, everything I owned was taking me away from things that did bring me happiness and purpose and meaning and significance and joy."
• 6:54 - Possessions have become a big distraction in a lot of people's lives
• 8:00 - Ideas on how owning less can help us be more effective in our parenting.
• 9:28 - When we focus less than the things we do not have we have opportunity to appreciate the things that we do have.
• 10:31 - "It is about aligning our lives around our values as opposed to being distracted by things that do not matter in the long run"
• 12:05 - More stuff never resolves our discontentment
• 13:18 - Jesus  said, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." Luke 12:15
• 13:40 - Examining our motivations behind work and collecting more stuff
• 17:12 - How minimalism opened Joshua's eyes to a new passion and approach to orphans and adoption.
• 18:30 - The Hope Effect
• 20:30 - Multi-generational influence of Joshua's family
• 22:50 - “I want to be as engaged and live each day as meaningfully as I possibly can”
• 23:50 - The big mistake of how much time and energy was invested into chasing the wrong things
• 24:30 - The mistake of wanting his kids to have the same qualities and attributes as their dad
• 25:10 - “So much of parenting is being intentional. So much is just studying our children and learning who they are.”
• 27:20 - Joshua describes two types of peace - peace in our circumstances and peace with the life that we’re living
• 28:25 - “We can find peace in how we know that we’re doing our best even though our best isn’t perfect. I can still find peace in the life that I’m living.”
• 29:33 - “When the world is turning upside-down, when we’re in these moments of trial and turmoil, we can know that there is a God who loves me, who is watching out for me, and a God who knows best.”
• 29:56 - “The things that are taking place around me may not bring me happiness; they may not bring me joy; they may be very difficult. But I always have that rock that I fall back upon. I can know that no matter how hard the wind is blowing… I have an anchor, and there is a God who loves me and is taking care of me and is watching over me.”
• 31:41 - Joshua talks about the benefits of fewer toys (both for kids and adults)
• 32:30 - Research about fewer toys leading to creativity and imagination and problem solving and contentment
• 35:00 - “Kids who don’t learn boundaries become adults who don’t define them for themselves.”
• 36:00 - “We overcome envy by focusing on the blessings we have, focusing on our uniqueness and what makes us special, and knowing we’re directing our resources on what matters the most. This is where we overcome envy and start to find peace in our lives.”
• 37:06 - “We we find our greatest peace when... we know we're being intentional with our time and our money and our schedule and our space... when we can say I'm doing in this moment what I think God would have me to do... that this is where we find peace in our lives."

Resources

• Top 10 Blog Posts - https://www.becomingminimalist.com/most-popular-posts/ 
• Joshua’s Blog - https://www.becomingminimalist.com
• Joshua’s books - Links to purchase at his website: https://www.becomingminimalist.com/books
  • The Minimalist Home: A Room-by-Room Guide to a Decluttered, Refocused Life
  • The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own
• The Hope Effect - http://www.hopeeffect.com - changing orphan care by providing family-based solutions