Less of Me, More of Him: A Christian Mom's Guide to Simple Living |

Where did all this stuff come from? If you’re like me, you’ve probably asked that question at least once.

Several years ago, our family moved out of our home into an RV for 15 months. We put most of our belongings into a storage unit and kept only the bare minimum.

Those months were challenging, but also wonderful. Living in a small space meant having so much less stuff. I could clean the whole RV in about 20 minutes! I did really miss my dishwasher, though.

When we moved into our new house, I realized we didn’t need all of the things we had in our old house. We threw away so much stuff!

I loved this streamlined, simple space, and I was determined to keep it that way.

But life crept in, and slowly our new space filled up. We have more than we’ve ever had before–and it’s not always a good thing.

When “More” Stops Working

Modern motherhood often pushes us to have more. We’re told to do more, be more, and keep going—always. Society sets expectations for us to fill our lives, homes, and schedules that don’t serve us.

Instead, our stuff fills us with anxiety and stress as we try to manage it all. Our schedules keep us so busy that time with Jesus often gets pushed aside.

Deep inside, many Christian moms long for something different. We don’t want the hustle and bustle.

Instead of more stuff, we want more peace and a simpler life. We want a life that has enough margin for love, laughter, and time with our families.

Simple living isn’t about deprivation. It’s about making room for God in the middle of a world that has rejected Him. It means embracing Jesus instead of all the stuff the world tells us we need.

smiling woman drinking a coffee — Simple living brings peace into your busiest days.

What is Simple Living for Christian Moms?

I wish I were a minimalist. I love the thought of having only the things I truly need to make it through the day.

However, I’m not sure how a mom can be a minimalist–especially if she has a husband and children who are attached to everything.

Christ-focused minimalism isn’t just having less for the sake of having less. As Christian moms, we want to make intentional choices that honor God.

That means we don’t bring things into our homes, hearts, and schedules that don’t honor God or serve our families. When we run everything through this filter, we’ll naturally live a life of LESS.

Letting Go of Comparison

Many years ago, President Theodore Roosevelt said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” Those words were never truer than right now in our age of social media.

It’s so easy for us to see the highlights of other people’s lives. We see their pretty homes, well-behaved kids, perfect husbands, and beautiful lives.

When we compare our actual lives to what we see on social media, it makes us feel like we can’t measure up. Because we can’t. Normal, everyday life doesn’t compare to the highlights in those little Instagram squares.

Social media sets unrealistic standards that no mom can reach. Simple living means to stop comparing ourselves to other moms and embrace the imperfectly beautiful life God has given us.

Less of Me: Releasing What We Were Never Meant to Carry

Sometimes the stress and anxieties of life start to weigh me down. I wake up feeling overwhelmed, and go to bed exhausted.

During those times, I try to ask myself, “What can I let go of right now?” And when I take stock of my schedule and to-do list, I often realize that I’m putting a lot of extra pressure on myself.

Pressure to do things that God never required of me. Sometimes I think I’m doing my best for my husband and family–but they’re not even expecting me to do those things!

If you’re a Christian mom looking for a simpler life, here are some things you can let go of right now.

1. The need to do it all

Guess what, Mama? You don’t have to do it all. In fact, you can’t do it all, and God didn’t create you to do it all.

It’s okay to ask for help if you need it. And it’s okay to say no to things that don’t serve you or your family.

2. The pressure to keep up

Pinterest and social media have given modern moms the impression that everyone else has it together, and we’re falling behind.

But you’re not falling behind. Taking care of your home and family, honoring God, and serving others is truly enough.

3. Perfectionism and people-pleasing

No matter how hard you try, you can never make everyone happy all the time. That’s why it’s best not to try!

Seek to please God and honor Christ. The rest will fall into place.

4. Emotional weights

When we allow pressure, people-pleasing, and excessive stuff into our lives, negative emotions can start to build up, too.

When we feel the need to do it all, we start to feel resentful. The pressure to keep up makes us feel bitter and angry when we can’t do it.

People-pleasing and perfectionism make us anxious and worried instead of trusting God to meet our needs.

We can release these negative emotions and attitudes and embrace peace instead.

Letting go is only part of the journey. Once we release what weighs us down, God gently fills that space with Himself.

woman with her hands folded in prayer while reading her bible — Simple living means more time to spend with God every day.

More of Him: Creating Space for God in Everyday Life

Simplicity and letting go of these negative actions and attitudes open a new space in our hearts and lives. But if we’re not careful, the negative can sneak back in.

Instead, let’s focus on adding some positive things into our lives.

1. Prayer woven into daily routines

Prayer is possibly the most important tool in a mom’s toolbox. The Bible tells us to “pray without ceasing.” Literally, prayer can and should be a continual part of our days.

When I was a child at church camp we sang this song:

Whisper a prayer in the morning,
Whisper a prayer at noon.
Whisper a prayer at eveningtide…

Prayer should always be our first resource, knowing that Jesus is never far away!

2. Scripture woven throughout the day

We have a tendency to separate quiet time with God into one part of our day. Chores, motherhood, homeschool, and errands are in a separate part.

Instead, Scripture should be a part of our lives all through the day. It’s good to have a daily quiet time. But it’s also vital to include Bible verses in every part of the day.

Keep God’s Word in front of your eyes, read and meditate on it throughout the day.

3. Awareness of God’s presence

As Christians, we know that Jesus lives in our hearts. He is always with us.

When life feels hard, or motherhood and homemaking feel overwhelming, it’s important to be aware that He is near.

Even when we feel alone, God is there.

Jesus wants to be a part of our ordinary moments. He’s invested in every part of our days, not just the minutes we spend in daily quiet time.

He wants us to invite Him in when we’re doing laundry, washing dishes, preparing meals, and getting our kids ready for bed.

When Jesus is with us, life becomes less urgent and more intentional. Life can be peaceful and not chaotic.

Simple Living in a Christian Home (Without the Overwhelm)

If you start to research simple living, you’ll probably find a lot of information. You’ll need to declutter and organize your house, prepare all of your food from scratch, and use “clean” ingredients in everything from skincare to cleaning products.

Trying to overhaul your whole life leads to more stress and anxiety than before. Instead, try a gentler approach to simplifying your home.

Declutter with purpose, not pressure.

I love a good decluttering challenge. But sometimes, setting a strict schedule and deadline makes you feel stressed if you can’t meet it.

Instead, start small and make simple changes. Determine to declutter or organize one drawer or cabinet each day. You don’t need to do a full overhaul. Small changes add up to big results.

Create rhythms instead of rigid routines.

I’ve found that no matter how carefully I plan my days, things never seem to work out perfectly. Something always goes wrong, and my day goes off the rails!

A few years ago, I began to embrace simple daily rhythms instead of tight schedules. Daily rhythms fit into your day rather than making you build your life around them.

Our homes should be places of peace and calm. Home shouldn’t be a place where we strive for perfection.

God gives us homes to use for ministry and service. Home is a gift. God doesn’t want us to be overwhelmed with taking care of His gift.

When we embrace simple living, we choose to see home as a blessing, and not a burden.

Simple Living for Your Heart and Mind

We want a simpler lifestyle, but what does that mean for your heart and mind? Here are a few ways you can embrace simple living in your heart:

1. Reduce noise and distractions

Our world is always busy and running. There’s constant noise and distractions meant to keep us from hearing the voice of God.

As moms, we rarely have time for perfect quietness. But we do need to create space in our days and lives for peace.

Think about areas in your life where you can remove clutter and distractions–including both mental and physical clutter.

2. Set boundaries

When was the last time you had a day off? As in, a day when you didn’t need to cook, clean, do laundry, watch children, and generally take care of everyone.

It’s probably been a while.

There are a lot of areas in our lives that we can’t control. But we need to set and maintain boundaries in other areas.

For instance, we should be mindful of our time and choose commitments carefully. It’s easy to fill our schedules to the point where we have no margin.

This often leads us to feel overwhelmed and stressed. Think about some areas of your life where you can set boundaries and start saying, “NO!”

3. Choose rest

Our modern society embraces busy-ness. Worth is often based on productivity.

But God didn’t design us to be always working and striving. He made us for rest. Even in Creation, He rested on the seventh day, and commended His people to have days of rest, as well.

Resting isn’t lazy. It’s part of God’s plan for you.

4. Trust God

No matter how hard we work, we can never accomplish everything on our to-do lists. Even if you mark off every task today, it will start again tomorrow.

When the lists stretch longer than our days, it’s time to turn them over to God. Trust Him to help you focus on your priorities, and let the rest go.

mom and kids reading together in their pajamas — Simple living means embracing the things that truly matter…like time with your family.

If You’re Feeling Behind…

Mama, if you want to start pursuing a simple lifestyle, you might start feeling overwhelmed. The list of things to do to “live simple” is long!

But here’s the truth: simple living is a journey, not a quick switch. It might look different for you than it does for me.

The goal is not to pursue perfection or a Pinterest-perfect home and life. The point is to live a life that brings peace instead of anxiety.

Remember that God meets us where we are–messy homes and all. God’s grace is sufficient, even in the slow unseen work of motherhood.

Choosing Less to Live More Fully

Simple living for Christian moms means getting rid of the things that don’t matter to embrace the things that do. I want less of me and more of Jesus.

Don’t let yourself be overwhelmed with a long list of things that people tell you to do. Lean into God’s Word, pray every day, say “no” to things that don’t matter, and embrace simple routines.

Take some time to reflect and pray about what “less” looks like for your season right now. And if you’d like gentle encouragement and simple, Christ-centered rhythms to walk alongside you, you’re always welcome in the Heart and Home Collective. It’s a quiet place for moms who want less pressure and more of Jesus woven into everyday life.

Take one small step towards simplicity today!