As a busy stay-at-home mom to five kids who was constantly juggling overlapping responsibilities and sifting through external chaos, Julia Ubbenga reached a breaking point. After an honest conversation with Jesus, she decided to pursue minimalism, a lifestyle of simplicity that seeks to reduce as much internal and external clutter as possible. Julia documented her family’s journey into minimalism on her popular blog, Rich in What Matters, and her online community has since grown to 30,000 followers. She recently compiled her hard-earned insights into her new book: “Declutter Your Heart and Your Home: How a Minimalist Life Yields Maximum Joy.”

Today, Julia is getting honest about how minimalism has impacted her life, family and relationship with God. She’s also opening up about how she connects best with Jesus by slowing down and the moments he’s come through for her in big ways during hard moments. Join us for a conversation full of authentic stories, helpful advice and fascinating spiritual resources.

QUESTION #1: ACQUAINT

The meals we enjoy are about so much more than the food we eat. So how does a “go-to” meal at your favorite hometown restaurant reveal the true you behind your web bio?

I grew up in Pella, Iowa, a small town known for its Dutch bakeries. Kansas City, Kansas — aka the BBQ capital of the world — is where my husband and our five kids now live. And we love our BBQ. Burnt ends and brisket have even replaced turkey and stuffing at our Thanksgiving meal. For the past three years, we’ve gathered around our family’s table with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins from out of town. We order piles of smoked meat and baked beans from Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que, our favorite BBQ joint. Between the sounds of licking sauce off fingers and feet hurrying for seconds, we laugh, give thanks, tell stories and listen. Once stuffed, we’ll all slouch into our favorite spots on the sofa, turn on skits by the comedian Nate Bargatze and laugh some more. Eventually, I’ll bring out the pumpkin pies, charades will begin, and memories will be made into the evening. I love our “BBQ-flavored,” untraditional family tradition.

QUESTION #2: REVEAL

We’ve all got quirky proclivities and out-of-the-way interests. So what are yours? What so-called “nonspiritual” activity do you love engaging in that also helps you find essential spiritual renewal?

I’ve walked neighborhoods ever since our second daughter was born. After dinner, my husband spends time with our kids while I head outside. My feet form a familiar cadence on the pavement as my mind begins to process the day’s events.

Before long, the thoughts morph into prayers, and I realize I’m talking with God. I keep my eyes open for what he has to show me. Sometimes it’s a spectacular sunset or breathtaking fall leaves. Other times, it’s a hummingbird hovering briefly over a bright flower. When my eyes stay open, looking for his gifts, there is no shortage of them.

Most of my ideas have their genesis in these neighborhood walks. I find myself thinking in new ways — a blog article idea here, a solution to a problem there. As soon as they emerge, I record them and thank him for these fresh insights.

Sometimes I practice intentionally walking slower than I’d like. We’re embodied people — by slowing my physical movements, I slow my mind and heart. I remember that Jesus was never in a hurry. I realign my steps with his pace and, eventually, reenter our home feeling restored.

QUESTION #3: CONFESS

Every superhero has a weakness; every human too. We’re just good at faking it. But who are we kidding? We’re all broken and in this thing together. So what’s your kryptonite, and how do you confront its power head-on?

I have a tendency to play the role of superwoman. While I do believe we can do all things through Christ and his strength, it’s taken me a while to learn (and I’m still learning) that we’re not called to do everything. In fact, saying no means we’re letting someone else step up and say yes, which may just be what aligns most with God’s plan.

I’m learning that just because you can do it doesn’t mean you’re called to. In college, I began believing our culture’s lie that the way to success was by doing as much as possible. By God’s grace, I’m learning deeply that we are human beings, not human doings, and the place we most often hear God is when we pause and turn down the noise. One of the reasons I’ve been so drawn to minimalism is that, as you question your possessions, you also learn to question your commitments and schedule. This journey into intentional living has shown me how to create margin in my life. I’m learning the world needs Julia, not Super Julia, and that doing your best does not have to lead to burnout.

QUESTION #4: FIRE UP

Tell us about your toil. How are you investing your professional time right now? What’s your current obsession? And why should it be ours?

I’m passionate about helping women declutter their outer and inner worlds so they can have more space to focus on what matters. I’d always wanted to be a stay-at-home mom, but once I took on that role, I felt like a full-time stuff manager instead. My days were filled with stuff: picking it up, putting it away, cleaning it, looking for it. I was irritable and stressed. Although my stuff and clutter stressed me out, I kept buying more of it. I thought I needed it all to be happy. One morning, I cried out to God and told him I knew that something needed to change. I turned to the Bible and words from Luke 12 jumped off the page at me. To paraphrase, they said, “Your life does not consist of possessions. Be rich in what matters.”

I knew then that something around the area of possessions needed to change. That same week, I had a therapy appointment, and my therapist suggested I try minimalism. I had to Google it, but once I figured out how it could help my family, I was all in. We gave away 75% of our family’s possessions and paid off 40k in consumer debt. As I simplified our outer environment, I made more space for God in my inner world, and life became so much lighter. I realized I could live an abundant life without an abundance of stuff.

After six years of documenting our family’s journey into minimalism on my blog, Rich in What Matters, I’ve written a book. My new book, “Declutter Your Heart and Your Home: How a Minimalist Life Yields Maximum Joy,” is full of practical tools and actionable steps to live with less stuff and more space to focus on who and what matters.

QUESTION #5: BOOST

Cashiers, CEOs, contractors or customer service reps, we all need grace flowing into us and back out into the world. How does the Holy Spirit invigorate your work? And how do you know it’s God when it happens?

I often sense God’s presence during seasons of writing, especially during moments when the words won’t come. I remember one specific evening when I was writing my new book, “Declutter Your Heart and Your Home,” when I knew the Holy Spirit was inspiring my work. I had signed the book deal a few months prior and was on deadline to turn a completed manuscript into Zondervan in a few weeks’ time.

My husband graciously watched our kids while I booked a hotel away for a night dedicated to writing. I walked into that hotel needing to write an entire chapter (I wasn’t even completely sure about the topic). Once in my room, I sat and stared at the blank computer screen. I felt immense pressure to be productive — I had a looming deadline and had invested in that hotel room.

Finally, I offered up an exasperated prayer, asking God to inspire my work. I told him that this project had always been his and that if he wanted it to be completed, then I desperately needed his help. Not even a minute after finishing the prayer, I was overcome with an outpouring of ideas. My fingers flew across the keys as I wrote word after word. I wrote for hours l and left the hotel with not only one chapter completed but two. In the acknowledgments of the finished book, I wrote a thank-you to God for “inspiring this work.” It wouldn’t have been possible without him.

QUESTION #6: inspire

Scripture and tradition beckon us into the rich and varied habits that open our hearts to the presence of God. So let us in. Which spiritual practice is working best for you in this season?

Every morning, I sit in our brown recliner chair in our bedroom, hot tea in hand, eyes closed and I approach my inner home where God waits for me. I first visualize what this structure looks like — the one Paul says is a temple of the Holy Spirit (see 1 Cor. 6:19). My inner home looks like a beach house — a bungalow — with the expansive ocean in the background.

I imagine myself opening the door of my inner home and walking in. I see Jesus there, sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for me. His eyes light up at the sight of my presence and my heart swells at the sight of him. I take a chair beside him, and we talk for a while. On the table is a shallow box with paper and pens. I imagine myself jotting down the things in my life that feel too heavy for me to carry. Then I give the paper back to Jesus, as if I’m giving those heavy things to him. He takes them happily, and we stand.

Together, we walk down the bungalow’s back steps to a sidewalk that leads to the beach. We walk along the beach together and eventually just stop and, in the stillness, turn and watch the waves. We don’t talk much during this time. He often drapes his arm around my shoulder, and during these quiet moments, I can feel my heart fill with peace. Sometimes I hear answers; other times, it’s simply an invitation to come back tomorrow. And so I do, knowing that he always waits for me there in my inner home.

QUESTION #7: FOCUS

Looking backward, considering the full sweep of your unique faith journey and all you encountered along the way, what top three resources stand out to you? What changed reality and your heart?

The book “He and I” by Gabrielle Bossis was a game-changer in my spiritual life when I read it five years ago. The book is a collection of Gabrielle’s journals that reveal her rich spiritual life and her relationship with Jesus. Through her writings, I began to understand how deeply Jesus wants us to spend time with him and live in union with him. Reading these pages showed me his great love for us and that our hearts are truly his home. This book changed me at a heart level and, as I deepened my relationship with Jesus, filled me with peace. If you’re looking to deepen your friendship with Jesus, I highly recommend this book.

A second resource is the song “Yahweh” by the band NeedToBreathe. The lyrics of this song helped etch two truths into my heart: my true identity is a daughter of God (as stated in Gal. 3:26,27), and God is always with me. The lyrics “But we are, by your design, the signature of divine,” showed me we are made in his image — a signature of the divine. And “Take me, and pull me through. Cause I can’t move without you. ‘I won’t leave you alone,’ you say. It will be OK,” gave me peace, knowing his presence is always with me.

The book “Practicing the Way” by John Mark Comer shaped my spiritual life a year ago. Comer reminds us that we are all influenced by something — we get to choose what it is. He reminds us to become so close to Jesus that we are covered by the dust of our Rabbi. He outlines practices that help us to conform to Christ instead of the world.

We all have things we cling to to survive (or thrive) in tough times. Name one resource you’ve found indispensable in this current season — and tell us what it’s done for you.

A current indispensable resource is “Loved to Life” by Ann Voskamp. Ann’s Lenten reflections are on 40 Bible passages from the Gospel of John. They have helped me encounter and experience Jesus in a transformative way.

Her words are so beautifully crafted and remind you of Jesus’ great love in novel ways. Ann and my messages overlap at times, which makes me smile. She’s become a friend and endorsed my book, “Declutter Your Heart and Your Home.”

A main theme in my book is that our hearts are made not for the things that fade but for the things that are forever. In this devotional, Ann also mentions that our hearts are made not for expendable things but for the eternal things — and that our deepest wants aren’t material but rather otherworldly. This resource is helping me keep my eyes on Christ and rest in his love as we journey toward Resurrection Sunday.

QUESTION #8: dream

God’s continually stirring new things in each of us. So give us the scoop! What’s beginning to stir in you but not yet fully awakened? What can we expect from you in the future?

I’ve always loved teaching and helping people live a lighter life with less stuff and more space to focus on God. My new book has the tools and actionable steps to help make that possible. I’ve been amazed at how my online community has grown over the past year — there is such a need for this life-changing message of simplicity. The average American home now has over 300,000 things in it. We simply aren’t made to manage that much stuff!

I’m always discerning new ways I can spread this message and help people live lighter. I am considering taking on one-on-one coaching clients later this year. I’ve had many people ask if I offer that, but I haven’t ventured into coaching yet. I haven’t felt I had the expertise to coach in this area, but with the book and amount of speaking I’ve done recently on the topic, l now realize I absolutely do. As anything, I will put it in God’s hands and know it will grow if he wills it!

Many people may not see themselves as “collectors” in the traditional sense, but most of us likely collect far more things than we realize — even if just in the form of items we rarely use.

So it’s no wonder that the interest in minimalism has grown in recent decades, with 11% of people identifying as minimalist in 2021 and an additional 26% interested in pursuing such a lifestyle.

But as Julia points out, if we’re simply getting rid of external clutter and not making any internal changes, our efforts may fall flat. Jesus said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 6:19-21, ESV).

The goal, then, shouldn’t be merely to rid our homes of junk we don’t need — but to clear away anything from our hearts that keeps us from fixing our eyes on Jesus and his will.

For further reflection:

What physical clutter distracts you or makes you feel irritable throughout the day?
What inner clutter is pulling your heart away from a deepening relationship with Jesus?
What practical steps can you take this week to clear away distractions and fix your eyes on God?

Julia Ubbenga