What do you think of when you hear that phrase – “a life of simplicity”?
What does a life of simplicity look like to you?
How does God show us how to live simply?
Please freely write all your thoughts down. There are no silly ideas or wrong answers. In fact, I think it will be enlightening to all of us as we read one another’s comments.
1 Thessalonians 4:11,12 (NIV) Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
A life of simplicity-today in the U.S. a person or family who “lives simply” would be viewed as being weird or odd, as our society has so much “junk” that the media tries to convince us/or HAS CONVINCED us that we must have. Living simply, we WOULD NOT have cell phones; satellite TVs; 5-7 different TV/stereo remote controls; 5-7 telephones in our homes; 2-3 cars per household; a wallet full of charge cards & no air conditioning in cars or homes – just to name a few. We’d not be bothered when our neighbor has a new car or “new look” on their home. We would be content, care for/about and know our neighbors more and not have a calendar telling us when our children have to be where at what time. Families would eat dinner together; spend time together praying and playing games. . . learning more from one another. Parents and teachers would communicate much more often to talk about successes and needs of their children/students. As a society, we would be MUCH LESS stressed and experiencing many less anxiety disorders. Would there be as many children diagnosed with A.D.D. in our schools? Children/people who have special needs would be nurtured more and cared for more in their homes than in institutions. These are just a few of my thoughts. . .per the Scriptures which encourage us to “guard our hearts,” “care for one another,” and “pray without ceasing.” I pray that the Holy Spirit will guide your thoughts, words and attitudes this coming weekend, Guys!
Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and body. Love your spouse and children and teach them to love God with all their hearts, souls, minds and bodies. Love the church and teach them to love God with all their hearts, souls, minds and bodies.
I just read Sue’s reply and while we do have cell phones, (we just got them) we don’t have the whole list of other things and yet I don’t feel we fall into the simplicity category by any means.
To me it strikes me more as a matter of the heart. It may look different to different people. Keri Wyatt Kent has written a great book called “breathe” on that subject. Although, I would without question agree that in the United States we are blessed beyond measure compared to the rest of the world.
Does finding simplicity help us to better rest in the God’s Peace? That is part of a Bible study that I’m in right now. I think for me they are directly connected!
Peace to you! May the Lord use you both!!
“Things” complicate our lives in a material way – when we have more things, we have more to take care of, more to clean, and more to store. And “worry” complicates our spirits in a similar way – when we allow worry to fill up our brain we have less room for storing God’s word, less room for actively pursuing God’s will in our lives, and less room for doing His work.
Just my two cents… and this is certainly something I’ve acknowledged that I need to work on seeing as I have the tendency to want to hang on to things! But I’m learning that God has way better “things” for me when I seek Him – and they’re mostly not material things!!
I LOVE your choice of topic! Brad & I have been earnestly practicing a simple life. It’s not easy in this fast-paced lifestyle of today but SO worth the effort.
We live in Amish Country & at times their lifestyle is so applealing & seems by far less complicated.
As Sue Harkins said in the above post, I believe we are seen as “weird” to our neighbors & even some of our friends. For one thing we homeschool & for another we don’t run our kids to every imaginable outside activity as many other families do. We limit outside activities both for our kids & for ourselves. We protect our family time. We also do not have a cell phone & we are a one car family.
A few years ago we gave up our paid tv (we don’t get any reception here without paying for tv). We switched to a DVD subscription through the mail which we choose very carefully. We also limit tv watching time to one hour a day.
I have also started to really analyze which magazines I have time to read & actually get something out of it. I will be dropping at least three subscriptions this year to simplify my life.
Recently I’ve been fascinated with the pioneers of the Frontier movement. In part because of the “simplicity” of their lifestyle. They had a hard lifestyle but it was also much more about just the basics. It wasn’t about aquiring all the “extras” they could.
I’ve started learning old-fashioned skills such as knitting, sewing, canning & bread making. I find these quite skills to be a lost art; so valuable in that I’m learning & doing something productive & I can also pass these skills along to my children.
Well, I’ve rambled on enough. Great subject to ponder though.
Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Wow—so much wisdom packed in these responses already. God has really been calling me (and us) to a simpler lifestyle over quite a number of years now, and helping me to become increasing content with less and less “stuff”. I rarely go shopping because I am so much more contented when I don’t even expose myself to all the things I don’t have!! I so often think about Romans 12:2, the version that reads, “don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its mold”. I don’t really think we can follow Christ and respond to his teachings or the teachings we find in James or I John about how we show Christ’s love for those who have little without being convicted to live more simply ourselves, so we have more to share with others. For us that means constantly separating out needs and wants—and teaching that to our children—and realizing that God really does provide us with peace and contentment when we live with what we need—it becomes enough! It also allows us to leave a smaller footprint in our world when we live simply—I think it is Biblical to be living “green”. Our mantra has become “repair, reuse, recyle”. And yes, sometimes people think we are crazy! We need that not only in our homes, but also in our churches. Too often it seems that we feel we have to have the very best and latest amenities in our churches in order to attract people to come, so we go into debt for things like air-conditioning and newer/larger facilities, when really what is probably most attractive to people is a loving, giving body of Christ. My prayer is that I would never be comfortable with more than I need as long as there in those in the world who don’t have the basic necessities of life.
for me, simplicity means being able to hear myself think… and actually have the time to think!
My blog title is intensesimplicity because simplicity is one desire of my heart for my family. The first scriptures that popped into my mind are in Philipians 4. …for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances… I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation… Our materialistic culture pushes us to strive for more and bigger and better at a precious cost. It costs us valuable time which could be spent doing the most important things like being available to our children and husbands, being a listening ear to a friend in the middle of crisis or lending a helping hand to a neighbor. We become so engrossed in keeping up that we can’t stop and treasure simple pleasures, the little things that don’t cost us a dime.
Does it have to do only with possessions?
Is simplicity different for different people?
I finally looked it up in the dictionary–it seems “simplicity” is more complex than it sounds! There were several definitions.
Well, I think that very definitely means not having possessions for the sake of having possessions. I think we need to really think about “things”—I don’t think we really have to write off modern conviences as neccessarily bad—-some of them really do make our lives easier, free us up to do other things—we have to decide if that is why we have them or are we just trying to impress others.
So to me, a life of simplicity may be an Amish lifestyle or a very technically modern lifestyle. I think our material needs differ according to the calling God has given us—it is all for His work, whether we have much or little–we have to be willing, I think, to give it all up in a heartbeat if God asks us to do so—we can have things, but need to beware of becoming attached to them. Always, God, then others. If our “things” help us do that—great!!
How does God show us? The best example of all—Jesus!! He left His perfect home to live here on this earth as a man. He lived the ultimate simple lifestyle–His life was all about us!! And our lifestyle should be all about others!!
Simplicity… I guess whan i think of Simplicity I think more of whats on the inside rather then the outside. I want to be simple rather than complicated. I want people to look at me and simply see Christ. A true version of Christ not contorted or made into what I want hime to be. There are times where I make excuses for christ, why I believe and live the way I do. He needs no excuses. He simply is… and does not need me to change things.
When I first heard simplicity I thought of the “Amish” lifestyle. I have been to both the PA and Ohio areas and marveled at their existence. Then I began to ponder our modern lifestyle. My reaction to a “simple” mistake has been anything but calm.
Currently I have lost over 50 hours of talk time ( several hundred dollars) on my cell phone due to an automatic withdrawal error at my bank. In the past two weeks I have called; e-mailed; yelled; screamed; said things I should not have; and hung up the phone all in vain to get my hours back. God placed this lesson here to show me that I don’t need this cell phone so I am giving up trying to get my hours back. I may give it up or be more conscious about using my minutes for a purpose.
May we all find beauty and peace in our God and not let modern conveniences take that away.