Most people say they want to simplify their life but don't know how, or as Confucius said "Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated". In all areas, a genuine simple life is how you define a balance between excess and deprivation. This blog entry will investigate how you can find a better balance if you are willing. The February 2006 version was about a balanced life, but this month's could have been titled voluntary simplicity. Minimalism and down shifting are two terms used in different generations to communicate the same thing. An old Yiddish proverb says "the truly rich are those who enjoy what they have". Don't confuse this message with the television series by the same name that ran from 2003 until 2007 and added to the fame of Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie. Their purpose was to make fun of the happy people they met living a simple life. We know from media reports that the personal lives of Paris and Nicole were not simple and were not happy. Wisdom comes from recognizing you are not in control of the beginning, middle, or end of your life. Psalms 90:12 says "Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts." That wisdom can be defined as the self-control and decisions you make with the stewardship of the free will God gave you.I recently read a book titled "Simple Life" by Thom Rainer, because I'd previously read his great book "Simple Church". Before that I read Dave Ramsey's publications from "Peace University". About a decade ago I attended a seminar held by Bruce Ammons and learned some practical steps to simplify (and therefore de-stress) my life. A great example was his view of footwear. Bruce concluded and I agreed that a black pair of dress shoes with black socks would fit all the circumstances of my life except when I needed athletic shoes with white low-cut socks. Everything else could be discarded and the two pairs of shoes and the two sections of my sock drawer lasted for years. Then one day I bought a pair of sandals for summertime. Then a day came when the idea of multiple color dress shoes, athletic shoes for differing events, slippers, cowboy boots, and casual shoe needs ruined my footwear simplicity. Maintaining a simple life takes diligence. Controlling your thoughts is a continual needed discipline, as the mind searches for things you want. I can go back to footwear simplicity and donate my excess to those that need it far more than I, so if you have ruined simplicity in an area of your life you also can fix it by learning how.
"Simple Life" breaks it down into clarity, movement, alignment, and focus. A quick internet search found other books and websites, like the philosophy book, "The Simple Life" by David E. Shi, or self help sites like www.zenhabits.net or www.aquietsimplelife.com. The point is that there are sources of information other than this blog and the previously mentioned book by Thom Rainer and his son. The first step is the decision to simplify your life and that almost always requires acceptance of less. In my shoe example, my needs did not change, only my wants. Simplicity requires controlling your wants. Many times people will even go into debt to purchase what they want for themselves, which adds to the actual price with interest payments on top of what was paid. With the complexity and speed of technology it would seem reasonable that we would have more time, but in reality the expectations have been increased so you'll also have to control your time. This requires prioritization of what is the most important. If you recognize it is almost all small stuff the old saying makes sense. "Don't sweat the small stuff". Happiness is not found in increasing the things we own, but how what we "own" is used for other people.
In our shrinking world, the increasing number of people we know and the friends we connect with on Facebook or other social media, makes the societal pressure to conform complex. That complexity seems to make the promise Jesus made about abundant life in John 10:10 impossible. A simple answer can be found in Hebrews 10:24-25, "and let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near". An abundant simple life is based on your attitude, not your finances. An abundant simple life is based on your priorities, not your time. An abundant simple life can't happen with personal excess, but doesn't require great deprivation. As Romans says in chapter 13 "pay your obligations to everyone.....the commandments all are summed up by this: love your neighbor as yourself". Relax and enjoy the ride, it's a simple life because you really are not in control of more than obedience. God is in control. Anything more just leads downhill to stress and unhappiness. As if it was needed to pound home the point, Romans 12:3 cautions "for by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one". How are you using your measure?
