As a social work major, I’ve had a lot of classes where I learn about poverty, the working poor, empathy, governmental and agency policies, and seeing a person as a part of a larger system. As a student at a Christian university, I’ve been in an environment that emphasizes the truths of the Bible such as loving my neighbor, advocating for the marginalized and impoverished, and treating everyone as a creature made in the image of God. I thought I understood all of it pretty well, and I was proud of myself for being so open-minded and understanding.

And then I bought my eighth pair of black leggings and yet another grey t-shirt. I realized that maybe I didn’t understand the principles presented in my classes as well as I’d thought. I was spending so much money on things I didn’t need. It’s great to read books about advocacy and service, or to participate in class discussions about poverty, or even to sponsor a child or donate to organizations that exemplify the values of service and respecting human dignity. But if those things do not come alongside a heart and a mindset that truly seeks to embody the teachings of Christ, then they are meaningless.

I thought I was doing what I could to understand the marginalized, to try to live as Jesus did, and to advocate for the underrepresented. I was doing some good things. But at the same time, I was buying pair after pair of adorable Victoria’s Secret underwear, cute Forever 21 dresses, and soft Target t-shirts. The Bible has hundreds of passages discussing money and poverty, and many of them are discussing the pitfalls of being rich, the necessity of giving to the poor, and the idea of not becoming a part of the materialistic culture that we as people are always tempted to fall into. The story of the rich young man comes to mind. Jesus did not tell him that he was a bad person. He commended him for following the law, but told the man that in order to truly be a follower, he needed to give all he had to the poor. The man could not do it. It’s easy to say “he should have just done it!”, but it’s not so easy to say that in regards to our own lives.

I’ve digressed a bit. So, I’ll return to the topic of my New Year’s resolution. This year, I decided that from January 1^st to December 31^st of 2016, I would not be buying any new clothes. I didn’t think I could give everything I had to the poor in order to follow Jesus, but I did think I could handle not buying any new clothes and donating some of the clothes I had but never wore. It seemed easy to me. I told myself that I had so many clothes already that I wouldn’t be tempted to buy anything else. And that held true... For about two weeks.

A few weeks into my Christmas break, my cousin asked me if I wanted to go to the mall with her. She wanted to buy some new clothes. I agreed and drove us there. I thought it would be fine and that I wouldn’t want to get anything, but then I walked into a mall that I hadn’t been to in a few months. I had no idea that the Victoria’s Secret store would be remodeled while I was at school, and that they would be having a sale on underwear. My eyes got bigger than my wallet and I could only think “I need new underwear.” Not “I want,” but “I need.” I knew at that point that it was going to be a long year.

As the months have gone on, it’s gotten easier to not be swayed by sale prices or clever advertisements. I don’t feel that "need" anymore. I still occasionally want new things when I see them, but I don’t have quite the same drive. Also, I have made exceptions to the rule for certain types of clothes. For example, I started an internship this semester at an agency that requires business casual dress. My leggings and t-shirts weren’t exactly going to fly at this agency, so my mom and I went out and I got some business-like clothes. I also went on a backpacking trip this summer and was woefully unprepared in terms of the amount of socks I had, so those had to be purchased as well. But other than those few exceptions, I’ve done pretty well.

I’m not writing this to brag about my resolution or to claim that it’s the only resolution worth having. But I am writing to encourage you to try it one year. It’s been pretty fun, and it’s really made me focus on the teachings in my classes and church. I’m not sure if I’ll continue with this after 2017 rolls around, but I have a feeling that this year-long habit might be hard to break, and I’m okay with that.