- Feb 5, 2002
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<B>By Karen O'Connor
Simplicity, like any of the spiritual disciplines--obedience, surrender, silence, prayer--begins on the inside. Simplicity sets us free to receive God's provision as the gift it is and to share that gift freely with others.</B>
I held the front door open with my foot as I balanced two boxes and a large trash bag filled with unwanted items--paper, clothing, dishes. "I feel as if we're coming down to where we ought to be--to a life of simplicity and order," I called to my husband as he cleaned out a storage closet in the hallway of our condominium.
"I agree," said Charles. "Let's keep at it till we're finished, then celebrate over dinner at Cafe Athena."
A meal at our favorite restaurant at the end of a long day sounded good to me.
<B>OUTER SIMPLICITY</B>
Simplicity, as we soon discovered is--quite simply--freedom, freedom from useless accessories, unwanted items, paper clutter--and emotional baggage too. The more we held onto things we had outgrown or no longer wanted, the more I felt held down. I was tired of dusting trinkets, moving magazines from one room to another, shoving old clothes to the back of the closet.
And yet, I enjoy many of the things we do have. I like eating off our bright new dishes each day, listening to music on our stereo and making up the bed each morning with the beautiful new bedspread we finally purchased.
Simplicity, I realized, is not to be confused with deprivation or asceticism, which renounces the things of the world. Its about being free of the bondage to these things. We can enjoy them while we have them and let them go when theyre no longer useful.
My husband and I also discovered the simple value of making use of community resources. Visit the library and cut down on the expense and space required to keep a library of our own! Consider the nearby park our front yard. Gather there for family picnics and summer parties.
We never need to mow the lawn or trim the trees. The beach is there for our occasional swim and for collecting shells with our grandchildren, yet we don't need to replace the sand or chlorinate the water! Even a basketball court, picnic tables and play equipment are provided, and never once must we repair, replace, or refinish any of them! Now we can truly enjoy all that God provides without being slaves to it.
<B>INNER SIMPLICITY</B>
As we continued our spring cleaning, Charles and I noticed a change in our mood, in our attitude, in our perspective. A simpler outer lifestyle made it possible for us to focus on what really matters--our inner life.
Like the apostle Paul, we were learning to be content in plenty or in want, because simplicity, like any of the spiritual disciplines--obedience, surrender, silence, prayer--begins on the inside. Simplicity sets us free to receive God's provision as the gift it is and to share that gift freely with others.
Even the desire for a simple lifestyle, however, cannot take precedence over our relationship with God, or it too, like the things we have accumulated, can become an idol. Simplicity means taking our hands off the controls and depending on God, as do the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. We now have more time to walk and talk, to pray and listen, to spend time reading and reflecting.
<B>PRACTICAL SIMPLICITY</B>
Practicing simplicity involves trust and prudence. A simpler life includes learning how to make wise choices about everything. Do we really need ten pairs of shoes, for example, or two can openers, or a television in every room? Can we enjoy our clothing for several seasons rather than answering the call of every fashion trend that comes along? Are we willing to live in a modest dwelling that is affordable and comfortable, rather than a showplace that drains our earnings each month?
The Fitzgeralds, for example, bought a practical home twenty-five years ago in Southern California when they had three small children. It still serves them today even though their daughter and sons have grown up and moved out. Greg said he didnt want to spend his weekends mowing and hedging when the kids were little, and he knew he wouldnt want to spend his retirement that way either! So they chose a lot that opened onto a common greenbelt where the kids could run and play, but the homeowners association was responsible for maintenance.
"It made all the difference," said Greg. "Nancy and I sit on the patio now and relax. We have time for each other and for friends and neighbors. We have a smaller house than some, but we have the freedom that many others dont have."
For those who do have yards to keep up, how about sharing gardening tools? Does everyone need a lawnmower and edger? Wouldn't it be lovely to be free of storing items used infrequently, fixing things that break, and replacing equipment that wears out?
Simplicity also encourages us to modify our diets, to embrace simple, nourishing foods that we can prepare at home and share with others.
The simple life embraces a caring and consciousness about the earth and its resources. If you use paper goods, you may want to consider replacing them with washable, recyclable materials.
<B>SPIRITUAL SIMPLICITY</B>
Simplifying also includes clearing out the emotional clutter in our lives, as well--from people who drain our energy and time, to habits that keep us from drawing closer to the Lord. Must we accept every invitation we receive? Can we curb watching television in favor of listening to praise music and reading an inspiring book that will feed our spirit?
Throughout history, simplicity has set God's people free. "Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, 'I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you...'" (Hebrews 13:5, NAS).
But pride of ownership has also enslaved some. " and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and gold multiply then your heart becomes proud, and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery" (Deuteronomy 8:13-14, NAS).
On the other hand, if we go to the opposite extreme, renouncing all possessions as evil, we become unbiblically legalistic--taking a kind of pride in turning away from the things of the world. But the Bible is consistent and clear in its teaching that creation is good and is to be enjoyed. "And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good" (Genesis 1:31, NAS).
<B>SIMPLE LIVING</B>
Talking about the simple life, however, and actually living it can present a challenge.
<B>Here are some actions to consider as you look at how you might simplify your interior and exterior life:
1. Choose practicality over prestige.</B> A used car, smaller house, home-based vacation, conservative, classic clothing can free up thousands of dollars to use for good. And what freedom you will feel when your bills come in at the end of the month--and you can afford to pay them right away.
<B>2. Give freely.</B> I remember my father-in-law wearing a beautiful large silver cross around his neck during one of our visits. When my daughter admired it, he took it off immediately and handed it to her. "Yours to keep," he said. "My pleasure." She will always treasure that special gift. Charlie did not allow himself to be tied to anything material. He gave freely just as the Lord had given freely to him. I so admired his generous spirit.
<B>3. Develop a love of nature.</B> Walk, listen to the birds, stop under the shelter of a tree, collect pine cones or sea shells and examine them. During a recent walk in the country with one of my daughters, I was blessed by her comment, "A few minutes out here is enough to show me again how few material things I really need."
Simplicity--the discipline that brings us down to were we ought to be so God can lift us up to where He wants us to be.
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Simplicity, like any of the spiritual disciplines--obedience, surrender, silence, prayer--begins on the inside. Simplicity sets us free to receive God's provision as the gift it is and to share that gift freely with others.</B>
I held the front door open with my foot as I balanced two boxes and a large trash bag filled with unwanted items--paper, clothing, dishes. "I feel as if we're coming down to where we ought to be--to a life of simplicity and order," I called to my husband as he cleaned out a storage closet in the hallway of our condominium.
"I agree," said Charles. "Let's keep at it till we're finished, then celebrate over dinner at Cafe Athena."
A meal at our favorite restaurant at the end of a long day sounded good to me.
<B>OUTER SIMPLICITY</B>
Simplicity, as we soon discovered is--quite simply--freedom, freedom from useless accessories, unwanted items, paper clutter--and emotional baggage too. The more we held onto things we had outgrown or no longer wanted, the more I felt held down. I was tired of dusting trinkets, moving magazines from one room to another, shoving old clothes to the back of the closet.
And yet, I enjoy many of the things we do have. I like eating off our bright new dishes each day, listening to music on our stereo and making up the bed each morning with the beautiful new bedspread we finally purchased.
Simplicity, I realized, is not to be confused with deprivation or asceticism, which renounces the things of the world. Its about being free of the bondage to these things. We can enjoy them while we have them and let them go when theyre no longer useful.
My husband and I also discovered the simple value of making use of community resources. Visit the library and cut down on the expense and space required to keep a library of our own! Consider the nearby park our front yard. Gather there for family picnics and summer parties.
We never need to mow the lawn or trim the trees. The beach is there for our occasional swim and for collecting shells with our grandchildren, yet we don't need to replace the sand or chlorinate the water! Even a basketball court, picnic tables and play equipment are provided, and never once must we repair, replace, or refinish any of them! Now we can truly enjoy all that God provides without being slaves to it.
<B>INNER SIMPLICITY</B>
As we continued our spring cleaning, Charles and I noticed a change in our mood, in our attitude, in our perspective. A simpler outer lifestyle made it possible for us to focus on what really matters--our inner life.
Like the apostle Paul, we were learning to be content in plenty or in want, because simplicity, like any of the spiritual disciplines--obedience, surrender, silence, prayer--begins on the inside. Simplicity sets us free to receive God's provision as the gift it is and to share that gift freely with others.
Even the desire for a simple lifestyle, however, cannot take precedence over our relationship with God, or it too, like the things we have accumulated, can become an idol. Simplicity means taking our hands off the controls and depending on God, as do the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. We now have more time to walk and talk, to pray and listen, to spend time reading and reflecting.
<B>PRACTICAL SIMPLICITY</B>
Practicing simplicity involves trust and prudence. A simpler life includes learning how to make wise choices about everything. Do we really need ten pairs of shoes, for example, or two can openers, or a television in every room? Can we enjoy our clothing for several seasons rather than answering the call of every fashion trend that comes along? Are we willing to live in a modest dwelling that is affordable and comfortable, rather than a showplace that drains our earnings each month?
The Fitzgeralds, for example, bought a practical home twenty-five years ago in Southern California when they had three small children. It still serves them today even though their daughter and sons have grown up and moved out. Greg said he didnt want to spend his weekends mowing and hedging when the kids were little, and he knew he wouldnt want to spend his retirement that way either! So they chose a lot that opened onto a common greenbelt where the kids could run and play, but the homeowners association was responsible for maintenance.
"It made all the difference," said Greg. "Nancy and I sit on the patio now and relax. We have time for each other and for friends and neighbors. We have a smaller house than some, but we have the freedom that many others dont have."
For those who do have yards to keep up, how about sharing gardening tools? Does everyone need a lawnmower and edger? Wouldn't it be lovely to be free of storing items used infrequently, fixing things that break, and replacing equipment that wears out?
Simplicity also encourages us to modify our diets, to embrace simple, nourishing foods that we can prepare at home and share with others.
The simple life embraces a caring and consciousness about the earth and its resources. If you use paper goods, you may want to consider replacing them with washable, recyclable materials.
<B>SPIRITUAL SIMPLICITY</B>
Simplifying also includes clearing out the emotional clutter in our lives, as well--from people who drain our energy and time, to habits that keep us from drawing closer to the Lord. Must we accept every invitation we receive? Can we curb watching television in favor of listening to praise music and reading an inspiring book that will feed our spirit?
Throughout history, simplicity has set God's people free. "Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, 'I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you...'" (Hebrews 13:5, NAS).
But pride of ownership has also enslaved some. " and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and gold multiply then your heart becomes proud, and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery" (Deuteronomy 8:13-14, NAS).
On the other hand, if we go to the opposite extreme, renouncing all possessions as evil, we become unbiblically legalistic--taking a kind of pride in turning away from the things of the world. But the Bible is consistent and clear in its teaching that creation is good and is to be enjoyed. "And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good" (Genesis 1:31, NAS).
<B>SIMPLE LIVING</B>
Talking about the simple life, however, and actually living it can present a challenge.
<B>Here are some actions to consider as you look at how you might simplify your interior and exterior life:
1. Choose practicality over prestige.</B> A used car, smaller house, home-based vacation, conservative, classic clothing can free up thousands of dollars to use for good. And what freedom you will feel when your bills come in at the end of the month--and you can afford to pay them right away.
<B>2. Give freely.</B> I remember my father-in-law wearing a beautiful large silver cross around his neck during one of our visits. When my daughter admired it, he took it off immediately and handed it to her. "Yours to keep," he said. "My pleasure." She will always treasure that special gift. Charlie did not allow himself to be tied to anything material. He gave freely just as the Lord had given freely to him. I so admired his generous spirit.
<B>3. Develop a love of nature.</B> Walk, listen to the birds, stop under the shelter of a tree, collect pine cones or sea shells and examine them. During a recent walk in the country with one of my daughters, I was blessed by her comment, "A few minutes out here is enough to show me again how few material things I really need."
Simplicity--the discipline that brings us down to were we ought to be so God can lift us up to where He wants us to be.
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