Abundant Simplicity
Several years ago, I began noticing something interesting that happened when I went back to teach at a church where I had taught before. On my first visit, we had talked about having an interactive life with God and we usually practiced solitude and silence, Scripture meditation, and practicing God’s presence. Participants loved it and planned to do these things individually and to start groups to practice these things. On my second visit, however, I found that almost none of this had happened. Why? They wanted to do these things, but their lives were too crowded to find time to do these things. They had too much to do and too many possessions to take care of.
That’s when I decided to write my book Abundant Simplicity. There I explained the difficulty of “coping with plenty” and the need to “be content with whatever I have” in every situation (Philippians 4:12, 13). Such contentment flourishes in a life of simplicity of time, simplicity of speech, simplicity of possessions and even simplicity of such things as leisure, exercise, and appearance.
But simplicity is often misunderstood. As a discipline of abstinence, it does involve setting aside certain things, but it’s much more about making space for God in your life and living in the beauty of that space. A life of overbuying, overtalking, and overactivity is exhausting. All of this clutters our thoughts to the point we don’t notice God’s dynamic action in our life or live in the adventuring of loving the person standing in front of us. These time-consuming activities and possessions may be good things, but they crowd out the best. They are like the “weights” we are wise to lay aside (Hebrews 12:1), which draw us into consumerism: the belief that personal wellbeing and happiness depends on higher level of personal consumption, particularly the purchase of material goods.
To live in simplicity is to believe “I have everything I need” for the next ten minutes (Psalm 23:1b). It’s a life of freedom from being overwhelmed and freedom to do the things that are most meaningful to us. Simplicity means pausing–no more living on autopilot, buying whatever comes to mind, filling the air with words, hurrying to do whatever is asked of you without seeking God’s input first. It’s a life of responsible stewardship—managing well all that God has given us. It results in deeper levels of tranquility and authenticity. We relate to people so much better because they find us easier to be around. Here are some experiments to try until next time:
- Ask God to show you “the weights” you need to lay aside—those activities or possessions that may be hindering you. Or ask someone you’re close to suggest to you what those “weights” might be. If you do, don’t answer that person immediately. Take time to think about what was said.
- In the time you gain from setting aside these weights, try doing something that helps you “pay attention to your life.” This might be journaling or taking a walk and asking yourself, What do I want in this life? What kind of life is God inviting me into?
Grace and peace,
Jan
©Jan Johnson
