The Simple Life - Pt. 3

 

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.” (Exodus 20:17 ESV).

 

The second step in living this simple life is to decide that you don’t have to live like everybody else, and they don’t have to live like you. What a simpler life will “look like” for one person may not look at all like a simpler life does for someone else. However, there are some basics that are the same for all people. It can be reduced to a practice of refusing to covet. When we have this strong desire for what others have, it is like telling God we are not happy with what He has given us. This is one of reasons it is given prominence in both the Old and New Testament.

 

The writer of Hebrews reminds us: “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5). This verse reminds me of the “little sparrows.” These tiny, seemingly insignificant birds provide a great insight. On the surface there doesn’t seem to be a connection at all, but if we notice one word in the last of this verse, we will see the writer uses the word “for” as he says God will leave us. It is a clear indication that the presence of God empowers us to overcome covetousness.

 

There is an innate drive within each human being for “more.” Our dreams, aims, and goals are a manifestation of this. Without this constant inner need for more, there would be no pressure to perform, not pressure to succeed, and not pressure to acquire. In and of itself, this drive is not ungodly. It was placed there by God Himself to inspire us to walk in righteousness and live His Word in our lives. For a Christian, the drive for more should be the need for more of God and the things He is doing in us, the more of God and less of me we so blithely speak without really thinking about what it actually means. Return to the sparrow. Jesus told us that if not a single sparrow falls unnoticed by God, how much more valuable to Him are His children – you and I? No matter how small and insignificant we may imagine ourselves to be, or actually be in relation to others, we are no less valuable in God’s eyes. That’s a truth to treasure, but I also believe that little bird is an example of how we are to live in order to overcome covetousness. The Bible tells us that just as God provides for the birds of the air and the flowers of the field, so He will provide for us. The implication is that God will always provide what we need. The simple explanation is that we are to live without worrying about the things we need, but simply trusting that God will provide according to our needs rather than our desires.

 

The Simple Life - Pt. 2

 

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27 ESV).

 

I’ve read a wonderful definition of “simplicity”: “Simplicity is clarity, purpose and intentionality. It is marked by the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything that distracts us from it.”  (Joshua Becker, Inside-Out Simplicity). The simple life then, is not merely a less stuff. It is a life focused on our values, which ultimately lead to intentional practices in our daily life chosen to pursue those values. It is the distractions of life regardless of how “good” they may be. When embracing simplicity we can rid ourselves of distractions so that we can live out our values instead of being diluted and ineffectual. It isn’t deprivation, it’s streamlining so that we can win the prize.

 

So, the first step in living this simple life is to define our values. That begins with a serious look at what we really want in life. This will lead us to determine what the most important things are in our life. I often suggest that doing this kind of personal inventory be written. After developing “the list,” start ranking them in order of importance. Much of the time we fail to understand what the “list” includes.” Core values ought to begin with the people in our lives. Imagine six concentric circles. You are the inner most circle. Our first value deals with our relationship to Jesus. He is the center with us. From there, label your circles in-to-out in this order: spouse; children; extended family; friends, and others.

 

Do you notice there isn’t any “stuff” on the list? That’s because stuff is unnecessary to prioritize in living this simpler life. Additionally, it is vital that we recognize all our decision must be made working from the inside to the outside of the concentric circles. Every decision should be made based on it affect to those in our circles of value. If my friends request adversely affects my relationship with my spouse, children, or extended family then the decision to give time or energy to it is negative. Typically we operate on the basis of the loudest voices, which are usually coming from the outside circles of value. Living a life where you only “grease the squeaky wheel” leads to destruction. Simplicity, or balance, can only be achieved by living a life when we choose that which is of the highest priority. As you look at your list, are there some values that are out of order? Make a decision to change.

 

The Simple Life - Pt. 1

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42 ESV).

 

Today’s reading will take us to a topic that I have come to value greatly as I’ve aged a bit. I must admit that my propensity to surrender to higher levels of OCD and the accompanying thoughts of perfection have made achieving a simpler life much more difficult. Perhaps that’s why I plan to spend a few days of the Morning Devotionals detailing some of the steps to live with simplicity. Remember the context of the story today. Martha was having a busy day. She was making an elaborate meal for Jesus and his followers. She was a gracious hostess, but her grace turned sour. The story does not tell us that Martha was wrong to make a nice meal, but she was foolish to allow the preparation of the meal to sour her opportunity to be with Jesus. She was so distracted and overwhelmed by her preparations that her desire to be hospitable backfired when she accused Him of not caring about her plans.

 

I feel bad for Martha. Whenever I hear this story, it is told as though Martha should have imitated Mary, who just sat and listened. That may sound good, but it doesn’t always work well in life. If I need to get something done, I want Martha on my side. We want people like Martha to serve on committees, lead Bible studies, and plan events. If everyone only sat and listened, much would be left undone. Jesus was not teaching us that we should sit still and do nothing, but he does challenge us to reconsider our priorities so that we can develop balance in our lives. If we are overwhelmed to the point that we become angry and frustrated, we may need to reconsider the priority we have given to balance.

 

I’ve lived through some of the generational disasters that have struck our country. The wisdom of preparation began in the first experience of those disasters. That’s a challenge in itself. But I soon realized that just preparing for a winter storm, tornado, or hurricane wasn’t the only issue. I believe there is a case to be made for believers to deliberately choose a simpler lifestyle. t parts of our society. And if you take a hard look, you will realize just how difficult it is to adopt simplicity in life. Tomorrow we’ll look more into some of the steps we can take.  Today, begin thinking about the complexity of your life and ask the Lord to show you areas where you can strike a better balance.

 

The Discipline of Service

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. (Romans 12:3-8 ESV).

 

Have you noticed how some of us who are older still call “gas stations” by the older name of “service stations”. The nostalgia of a full service gas station is still appealing in many ways. And, I am old enough to remember those stations. You could drive your vehicle into the area where the pumps were located and someone would come to your car asking how much fuel you wanted and without a thought checking all the fluid levels, air pressure on the tires, and washing your windshield. All of those “services” were performed without thought of compensation. It was a part of our way of life. Those stations virtually became extinct in favor of the convenience of “easy-in-and-out” and a desire to spend less time actually interacting with consumers of our products. I miss those days.

 

As I began to think through the next essential discipline in our little series, I was drawn to our reading today. That brought back the memories of the gas stations of the ‘50’s and ‘60’s. There are many other examples of customer service. However, today I want to expand your thought a bit as I include a spiritual truth concerning how God has created and gifted each of us. All of these gifts are designed to equip us to serve others.

 

When I think about all the good things a person can do, I get a little overwhelmed. We have so many possible ways to volunteer our time and resources. We have opportunities to serve lunch at school, deliver food baskets in the evening, read to children, rake leaves for senior citizens, teach Sunday school, serve on a church committee, write letters to prisoners, give money to different organizations, invite our neighbor to church, help build a home for someone… the list could go on and on. But when God calls us to serve, he doesn’t mean for us to get overwhelmed. He doesn’t tell us that we have to do every good thing that we can possibly do. He tells us to use our gifts. God has a lot of people who are working to serve him. This means each of us can use our individual gifts to serve God, without feeling guilty about other opportunities we may have missed. Our reading Bible describes the church as a group of people who focus on using their gifts to serve the Lord. When we walk with God, we are called to action. We are supposed to show his grace to a world that desperately needs it. We recognize that our actions will not address or correct every problem that exists, but we can use our gifts and abilities to reach beyond ourselves to show God’s grace through our actions.

 

 

Gratitude

 

On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:11-18 ESV).  

 

One of the little things I learned from one of my mentors was the practice of acknowledging others. He taught me to write little notes on the birthday cards sent out each week. He insisted that notes of appreciation be handwritten for those special moments and expressions that often come our way. That might seem like a simple task, but when there are over two thousand members in your church, it often took the better part of an afternoon to accomplish the task. I never regretted the notes. It gave me a simple way to remember each person and some part of their lives shared with me through the years. And, I suppose the discipline stuck; I still write a little birthday note to all of the folks who follow me on Face Book.

 

At first, it might appear these notes are little more than an opportunity to make myself look good. However, the longer I did it, the more I realized that it was a means to instill gratitude in my life. Every person I meet along the way is a direct result of God doing something good in my life. Sometimes that’s a little more difficult to understand than at other times, but it is true.

 

We should practice the same kind gratitude toward God as we do others. We should realize that prayer is an important part of thankfulness. We might be inclined to believe that prayer is the appendix to a good day or a successful endeavor; however, much more than a mere act of polite etiquette. Prayer does more than punctuate God’s blessings. It helps us become more aware of God’s goodness and contributes to a growing sense of gratitude toward God. That is an essential discipline to learn for our daily life. We must not become one of the nine who were healed and never turned back as in our reading today.