Living Simply

A person cannot be passive and get in shape. Getting in shape does not happen to someone, but rather requires being active. It is necessary to improve one’s diet and manage portion sizes. Furthermore, one must consider what kind of shape one wants to get in. Lifting weights will shape and tone the body, but not develop cardiovascular fitness. Like so many other pursuits in life, having a plan and committing to it is the path to getting in shape. And yet I have found Christians can be surprisingly passive when it comes to getting in spiritual shape. While there is an intuitive awareness that sacrifices must be made to achieve a worthy goal, this recognition is not predictive in forecasting whether believers will create a plan to grow in Christ. I wager most people would not be able to articulate their plan to become spiritually mature because they do not actually have one. Those who attend church often have healthy spiritual habits but lack an integrated plan. While there are a plethora of approaches, a wise, simple option is to choose a few spiritual disciplines to practice. A spiritual discipline is a practice Christians participate in to become spiritually mature. Familiar examples of spiritual disciplines include prayer, public worship, fasting, and studying/meditating on the Scriptures. Less obvious examples include taking a time of solitude, seeking guidance from a mature believer, and confession. Through the ages the Lord has often responded to these disciplines by molding believers into greater Christlikeness. Both the Lord and the practitioner have a part to play. Living a life of simplicity is a rare, but timely spiritual discipline--an antidote to chaotic modern life. Like all spiritual disciplines, changing one’s life to incorporate the regular practice of the discipline produces more fruit than a half-hearted commitment level. However, practicing simplicity is a way of life rather than a component of how one lives. We have more options today than ever before due to unparalleled economic development. There are scores of different styles and shades of jeans in department stores and countless flavors and brands of ice cream in our local grocery store. There are millions of videos just a click away on YouTube. More options complicate our lives. How on earth do we choose the best from the available choices? How will we find the time to even answer the question? Living a simple life is an acknowledgment that one cannot have it all. It is a recognition that less is more, a path to freedom rather than paralysis. An essential element of simplicity is reduction. Instead of adding more, simplicity subtracts by reducing entanglements, minimizing material possessions, limiting exposure to the seemingly ubiquitous “noise” in a hyper-technological society, and practicing responsible stewardship. A few examples of simplifying can help provide the contours of what the discipline of simplicity may look like: • Decluttering by donating clothes and books that are no longer needed. • Turning off email and app notifications that are regular distractions. • Taking a day of rest. • Refusing to overcommit in order to have a less hectic schedule • Learning to say “no” to requests that do not fit with your values and priorities Even a hasty moment of reflection will reveal the counter-cultural nature of simplicity. Though seldom practiced, simplicity paradoxically leads to more abundant living than giving in to our rapacious appetites for more. Simplicity can go a long way in getting us in spiritual shape. Are you ready to commit?