The advantage of simplicity

Pastor Pat Duffin

For many people today there are so many demands on time and energy that their lives feel out of control. As someone put it, “The hurrieder I go, the behinder I get.” We all feel the pressure of our modern pace of living to one degree or other. Simplicity is the antidote that will alleviate the exhaustion of too much to do, and not enough time to do it. Simplicity is focused living. It does not prevent everything that is bad from coming into our lives, but it does priorize what comes through our day and sets boundaries that simultaneously include and exclude certain choices that make life less demanding. For the Christian, simplicity is the freedom to live for Christ in the moment, in each experience, with contentment and a sense of divine mission and purpose. It is focused, intentional living directed toward God - His values and priorities, His ways rather than our own. The opposite of freedom is slavery. There are three slave masters that destroy our freedom to live simply. One could call them the “Three Masters of Oppression” in our lives. The first is Slavery to Self. What we worship is our master. Paul wrote to the Romans, “Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey?” Many of us worship at the idol of self-image, self-motivated, self-made. Do we think more highly of ourselves than we ought? Do we insist on being the best dressed, the centre of attention, and having the last word. In other words, are we SELF-ish? Do we put our needs and desires before others? A lot of our stress simply comes from frustrated SELF-will. Does everything have to go our way, or can we let go of those things over which we have no control? Or, better yet, can we let go of those things over which we can exert control but which for which it is not necessary for us to have control? Do we hold onto parts of our lives and deny access to them, even to those closest to us, because we assume that we work hard and are, therefore, entitled to do as we please with our own time? Do put too much emphasis on having the ‘right friends’, the ‘right job’, or the ‘right stuff?’ Do we set the bar high and then beat ourselves up when we fail to meet our own expectations of ourselves? Can we only feel good about ourselves when we are number one at whatever we do? When we do these things we are slaves to a SELF-ish taskmaster. Second is the Oppression of Others. Oscar Wilde wrote, “The world is a stage...” We live in a society where image is everything. Many of us spend money we don’t have to impress people we don’t know, or don’t even like. When we expend large amounts of time and energy trying to impress people with our honours, degrees, achievements, awards and titles, we are caught up in the oppression of others. Do we pretend to be expert where we are merely amateurs? When we tell a story, do we shift the facts ever so slightly to make myself appear in a more favourable light? Do we try to give the impression of being more spiritual or godly than we truly are? Do I aim for excellence in living regardless of what other people might say or think, or do I travel with the mob where the standard is set at the lowest common denominator? Do I find myself always trying to please others regardless of my own needs? Must I always make excuses for my behaviour? Can I allow an unfavourable remark about me to stand without any need to straighten out the matter? When I am so driven to impress others that my life becomes a theatrical performance, then I am dominated by the oppression of others. Someone has quipped, “Be yourself. Everyone else is taken.” It’s great advice. Life sure gets a lot simpler when we don’t have to maintain a facade. Third is the Tyranny of Things. Is my life consumed by consumer living? Must I have the latest gadgets, the sexiest car, the toughest truck, the trendiest clothes and the biggest house? Am I a compulsive buyer that can’t pass up a good deal? Do my spending habits put me into debt, or cost so much money that I am unable to help other people in need? When I lend something to a neighbour, do I constantly worry about getting it back? Do I measure my worth by my possessions? Do I value stuff more than relationships? Many family rifts have been caused by disputes over possessions. Many marital difficulties are related to someone’s spending or hoarding. People often do great harm to others for the sake of gaining material things. Stuff clutters and complicates our lives because possessions require management and maintenance which consume precious time and resources that could be devoted to better pursuits. What millionaire would not give up his material wealth for his life? Make the most of the life you already have by living it for the maximum and most meaningful. The Bible offers good counsel on how to obtain freedom from the Slavery of Self, Oppression of Others, and Tyranny of Things. Hebrews 12:1 tells us to “throw off everything that hinders...” so that we can pursue that which is most important. 2 Corinthians 3:4-5 tells us that our confidence for life is found in Christ and that our competence comes from God. And Timothy sums it up by writing, “But Godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. (1 Timothy 6:6-10). Life without relationships is empty. The greatest good and the greatest gain are found in our relationship with Jesus Christ who said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life...” (John 14:6) May you find simplicity in life by knowing Him and living life His way.