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PRACTICAL BOOK REVIEW
Practical Book Review:
Becker Assignment
Sum Soy
Liberty University - PACO 509
Prof: Dr. Rodney Phillips
May 29, 2022
PRACTICAL BOOK REVIEW
Summary
Josh Becker talks about his awakening feeling like his stuff was holding him hostage in
his book, The more or
less. Finally, find the life you want, Under Everything You Own. This wise, timely book
so inspires me. "Joshua Becker is a prominent voice in the modern minimalism movement.
Engaging and nonjudgmental, The More of Less masterfully articulates the benefits- and the joy-
of living with less." While emphasizing the value of purposeful "stuff," he provides a detailed
description of the lifestyle of owning less. The ability to reduce our stuff gives us the ability to
focus on the things that matter in life. As a youth pastor, Becker has a background in writing
from a biblical perspective.
His book comments on the problem of stuff surrounding us. As Becker points out,
minimalism can help you focus on the things that matter in life by removing unnecessary
distractions. Joshua Becker describes his journey into minimalism in his book More of Less. His
story began this Memorial Day weekend as he cleaned out his garage fourteen years ago. His
neighbor introduced him to becoming a minimalist after becoming frustrated with having so
much stuff. Becker describes how he and his wife worked together to simplify their lives and
return their focus to what matters (Becker, 3). It is not uncommon for us to be held back by our
stuff and rhythms. Becker reminds us to pause and consider whether we "want" or "need" what
we are considering." We will be able to live a more fulfilling life if we can answer that simple
question. It is difficult to argue against more money, more giving power, less stress, and reduced
competitiveness. "Once we let go of the things that do not matter, we are free to pursue the things
in life that do matter, (Becker, 2019). As the author states, we must remove distractions so that
the things we value most can be purposefully promoted or freed. A minimalist lifestyle means
PRACTICAL BOOK REVIEW
pursuing what you want rather than being bogged down with caretaking for everything you have
burdened yourself with. The benefits of minimalism Becker discusses are far-reaching and
universal. In addition, the author explains how a minimalist lifestyle offers a lot of benefits to
you personally. In subsequent chapters, Becker gives readers pointers on how to remove
distractions from their lives to focus more on what matters most to them.
Throughout our lives, we are bombarded with distractions. In his book, Becker suggests
that you start with the small things when you cannot deal with the big ones just yet and make
small changes until you can face them." (Becker, 80) If you cannot handle the significant
changes just yet, start with the little things before taking on the big ones. "The first step to living
the life you want is to get rid of things you do not need" (Becker, 11). Becker shows his readers
how to declutter their environment, minds, peace, and spaces to spend more time with family and
what matters most in life. You spend most of your time cleaning or reorganizing your mountain
of possessions and therefore less time spending with your family and sharing the gospel with
them. Rather than being just a self-help book, this book has plenty of tricks and tasks he learned
that have helped him become a minimalist, have more time for his family, and have fun doing
what he enjoys.
The “So What?” would be to point out that you can live a minimalist lifestyle
whatever your background.
In addition to being life-changing, serious decluttering can also bring freedom and peace.
The key to freedom is to start small and to be practical. "So, what" would also emphasize the
importance of experimenting and letting go of immediate fulfillment. The opposite of
minimalism is not taking advantage of your time, money, and freedom. That is like planning for
retirement and never spending the money (Becker, 2019).
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Respond
The true greatness of a man is neither in riches, nor wealth, fame, nor materialism, but in
only one thing, and that is the spark of dynamism. A more prosperous life does not come from
collecting more stuff. On the contrary, Becker recommends owning less and living more (Becker,
2019). The line "Our excessive possessions are not making us happy" caught my attention. They
even distract us from the things that matter most (Becker, 5). I can relate to this. Lately, I have
been thinking that everything in life has distracted me from what is bucking at my heart.
The "Me I See NOW"
To provide the life my children want and have grown accustomed to, I had to work many
hours. My children are constantly buying things online, particularly on Amazon, that are
essential and unnecessary. Their goal is to appear as glamorous and materialistic as the models
online. However, we realized what was essential, or a need, compared to what was desired or
wanted as we sorted through our old stuff. "Watch out!" says Jesus enthusiastically. "An
abundance of possessions does not make life complete" (Luke 12:15, NIV). My goal is to instill
in them the understanding that material possessions can be broken and that they are the ones that
separate us from our family. As a result of reading Becker's book, I now feel compelled to
simplify my life and reorganize everything I own; In addition to mine, my children have a
storage full of clothes they no longer wear. I will use Becker's advice to put the steps I need to
take into practice. As we progress through our lives, it is essential to shift our focus from wanting
more to wanting less.
Reflect
PRACTICAL BOOK REVIEW
Getting rid of the things in life that occupy my time and weigh me down, along with this
reading assignment, aligns with my recent desire to be a minimalist. "Expectations, demands,
and accessibility go up, but the number of hours in a week doesn't," states Becker. We have
become ever more occupied as a result" (Becker, 192). This statement touched my heart. Having
grown accustomed to a hectic lifestyle, I have spent so many hours at work in recent months. So
many families today are living this lifestyle. There has been so much focus on living a lifestyle
that everyone has forgotten what is truly important. Life has become so time-consuming that I
have lost touch with my children and friends. I realized how little time I spent with God and my
family after reading "The More of Less."
Becker has empowered me to make some life changes and free myself from how I think. Since I
read Becker's book, I've learned that change needs to be implemented one step at a time to have a
chance of succeeding. For example, according to Becker, we ought to limit distractions like
television, social media, and cell phones which consume our time (p.195).
The "Me I Want to See Soon
"
Progress is being made. I will ultimately need to minimize the distractions if I wish to
grow my relationships and live a carefree life. The things that do not contribute strength and
growth of my family and the ministry of caring for others. And sharing the gospel among the
unreached will need to be cut out of my day-to-day activities for me to grow in the areas that
matter most to me, according to Becker's book. I must trim away all the unnecessary activities in
my life to spend my last days on the mission field. I will take corrective actions consistently.
Seasons in life can affect our consumption easily. The only thing that will keep us minimalists is
life shifts and changes in our diligence. I am confident we can find space in our lives for
PRACTICAL BOOK REVIEW
everything we want. The author raises critical questions such as Do I need this and why? What if
the more we give away, the less we realize we need?, What possessions are adding value to our
lives?, What things or items do I want to leave behind as a gift or legacy? "The wicked will
destroy your treasures on earth, and thieves will steal them. Do not store treasures on earth,
where moths and vermin destroy. Stock up on treasure in heaven, where moths and vermin
cannot destroy it and thieves cannot steal it. Where your treasure is, your heart will also be there"
(Matthew 6:19-21, NIV). In light of these questions about the minimalist lifestyle, and the Bible
verse, I am reaffirmed that this is a journey and not a one-time experience.
Act
To serve others and spend more time with my family, I must remove the distractions
preventing me from doing and being a full-time evangelist while they are consuming my time.
My observations of what it takes to become more like Him in our walk and worship point me to
the fact that continued cleanliness, downsizing, and moving more stuff can lead to achieving
Peace here on Earth. Becker has inspired me to clean out of those storage units so all those items
that take up space and money can be donated. Purchasing stuff usually requires money. Despite
inheritances and gifts, most of what I own is a result of purchases. As Timothy says, "money is a
root of all kinds of evil" (1 Timothy 6:10).
"The Me I Want to Become SOON"
My excitement and inspiration for the pursuit of minimalism continue to grow.
In a recent self-help video I saw, Becker suggests throwing clothing out after a year if it hasn't
been worn. As well as Marie Kondo suggests holding each item, you'd like to get rid of in your
hands to see if it sparks joy. To be content, I must have more than I already have. It is effortless
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to fall into the trap the world sets. Imagine Jesus lived a life of freedom since He owned nothing
but the clothes on His back. "The Me I Want to Become Soon" is to be free from stuff that would
allow me to devote all my attention and energy to where God places me to serve. In the light of
the fact that minimalism is not a new philosophy (Becker 2019), we might find encouragement in
the fact that Jesus practiced minimalism. By eliminating the bonds of stuff, I can be free to lead.
PRACTICAL BOOK REVIEW
References
Becker, J. (2019).
The more of less: Finding the life you want under everything you own.
Colorado Springs, CO: Water Brook Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group.
Marie.
Marie Kondo explains Spark Joy.
https://youtu.be/9AvWs2X-bEA (2016)
Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the New International Version