Subtraction, not Striving

January 2, 2026

Philippians 3:13-4

"...one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

At the start of a new year, I usually find myself thinking about all the things I should add to my life if I want to grow as a follower of Jesus. I was surveying some devotions recently that focused on the beginning of a new year, and what I found was a call to add things to my life. Have you noticed that? More prayer. More Bible reading. More worship. More church involvement. More love, more patience, more generosity, more courage. No wonder I start each year with a focus on adding things to my life. The thought process goes something like this: "If I could just stack enough “good Christian habits” on top of each other, surely I’d end up more like Jesus, steady, peaceful, purposeful."

But if we are honest, that approach usually leaves us exhausted. We can’t seem to keep up with everything we think we are supposed to add. Something always slips. Something always feels too heavy. And instead of feeling spiritually full, we end up feeling spiritually inadequate. I wonder if the Christian life isn’t about adding more. (?)

I’ve started to realize that following Jesus isn’t primarily a life of addition, it’s a life of subtraction. When I look at Jesus’ example in the Bible, following him seemed so much simpler. He never gave long checklists or complicated schedules. He invited people to seek him, follow him, and make space in their hearts and lives to encounter him.

The Pharisees were the ones obsessed with checking the boxes, not Jesus. Jesus seemed far more interested in our willingness to surrender our spiritual checklist than adding to it.

I have discovered, that when I start cutting out the noise, the clutter, and all the constant distractions, something amazing happens: space opens up. In that space, the core parts of life with God, worship, prayer, Scripture, stillness, and communion, stop feeling like chores and start becoming real encounters. You see, They are not just things to check off a list; they’re how God shapes our hearts from the inside out.

Worship draws my focus back to who He is. 

Prayer helps me let go and learn to trust. 

Communion reminds me that His Spirit is nearer than I think. 

Meditation calms my soul in the truth.

These practices don’t earn us anything, they simply make room for the God who already loves us, already wants us, already delights in being near us. Every time we clear away a distraction, we will find our Creator waiting.

So maybe the question for this new year isn’t, “What should I add?” Maybe it’s, “What needs to be subtracted?”

What’s dulling my awareness of God? 

What’s draining my energy? 

What have I allowed to take center stage in my life?

If you’re stepping into this year already feeling overwhelmed, maybe God isn’t asking you to do more. Maybe he’s inviting you to carry less.

Take a moment to look at what’s filling your life. What could be released? What could be simplified? What could be set aside?

Create space. Lighten your load. Make room for his presence.

And watch what happens when God isn’t squeezed into the margins of your life, but welcomed into the center of it.