Simplicity - A Call to a Simpler Life (cont.)
By Senior Pastor Tri Robinson

Seven Considerations for a Life of Simplicity

A simpler life isn’t something that can be achieved overnight. We have worked years to get into the complex, seemingly out-of-control places that we find ourselves; places of great indebtedness, unhappy relationships, unfulfilling mundane occupations, and the loss of peace. The simplified life doesn’t come without intention; it is first motivated by desire and requires a strategic plan if it is ever to be realized. Sharing from my own experience I want to discuss a number of "life" areas that require reformation in order to achieve a life of simplicity and peace.

1. Simplicity requires less physical complexity.

Henry David Thoreau once wrote, "Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumb nail…Simplicity, simplicity. Instead of three meals a day, if it be necessary eat but one; instead of a hundred dishes, five; and reduce other things in proportion.”

This might be one of Thoreau’s most famous quotes written while spending a year of solitude and contemplation in a small cabin in the woods on Walden’s Pond. Although not a Christian writer, Thoreau tapped into a Biblical truth; what really counts in life can’t be found or claimed with too great of distraction. Over and over again the Gospel writers noted how many times Jesus went to the mountain or to places of solitude to spend time with the Father in order to get direction and clarity. Complexity has a way of distracting us from simple truth and peace.

The world constantly communicates that we need to buy more material possessions to make our lives easier. Ironically they are some of the very things that have a tendency to clutter our lives. Rarely do we return from a trip to the store without bringing home something we couldn’t live without. Those “things” generally end up on shelves untouched or unused until it is time to make room for more unneeded possessions, at which time they are removed and discarded. In this day it takes great discipline not to be duped by advertising and clever displays. It is much like the discipline of passing by a plate of chocolate during the holiday season knowing that the momentary pleasure of taste will only be added to the storage of unwanted calories.

The complex life often leads us unexpectedly to financial stress. We want things, so we find ourselves conveniently buying "on time", promising to pay it back later. In today’s world of financial bondage you can find a payday loan store on every corner or easy money at high interest just fingertips away.

The life of simplicity requires financial freedom. Jesus said it simply, “No one can serve two masters…You can not serve both God and money.” [Luke 16:13] A good way to begin on the road to a simpler life is to clean out your cabinets and closets of the clutter you never use, even though they may be good things. Donate the items to a place that can help the poor or to someone who can actually find use for them. You may also have a garage sale and use the money you earn against your debt. The blessing is that you will have a cleaned out organized home, but beware of buying more than you need and storing up clutter once again. One way to avoid this is to make a list before you go to the store, and then be disciplined and stick to it!

Make a plan to become debt-free so that money no longer occupies your mind and distracts you from the things that really matter. Look at how you spend your money on a monthly basis and ask yourself what things are really necessary and what things are not. One truth I have discovered is that possessions have a way of taking ownership of your life. Once, Nancy and I owned an old boat that my son Brook and I restored. We found great joy working together to make it sea worthy. We dreamed of the day we would put it on some lake and speed across to distant places. The project took us two years to complete, but finally after a number of failed attempts the boat was ready. We used it a good deal for the next year or two, but eventually it just sat in its relegated spot, as other recreational activities took our attention and interest away. The boat had become just another "toy" that made us feel guilty when we weren’t using it. Now and again I found myself working on it, keeping it maintained so it was ready for use. But for the most part, it just sat there in the way. The joy was in the creativity of the project, the richness of working together with our hands. It was the dream of what it could be rather than the possession of something that eventually owned us. I have discovered that many "toys" are like that.

The author of Proverbs begged two favors of God before he died, first he asked, “…help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, 'Who is the LORD?' And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God's holy name”. [Proverbs 30:7] Solomon, reflecting over his life in the book of Ecclesiastics, came to the final conclusion that “Those who love money will never have enough. How absurd to think that wealth brings true happiness.” [Ecc. 5:10]

Simplifying your physical life in the areas of finances and possessions is anything but simple – it will take planning and work. But it will help you to discover a new freedom and a peace that you probably haven’t experienced in a long time.

2. Simplicity requires less internal complexity.

There is nothing that damages a simplified life more than being a complex person. Internal conflict is the great thief of tranquility. When our life is out of sorts with God or others, everything else is out of sync, the natural rhythm is gone. If we are dealing with issues of guilt, shame or anger and rage, we can become paralyzed, losing the freedom to pursue the dream of inner peace and a simplified life in its purest sense. Unresolved issues cause us to lose our vision for the pursuit of a life that requires the freedom to initiate change; and simplicity requires a commitment to all kinds of change.

The simplified life is a life that is moving into harmony not just with the natural environment, but with personal relationships and most importantly with God. Through our relationship with God, he gives us freedom, healing and a new beginning, all of which are prerequisites to a life of peace. Jesus’ stated mission was “to set the captive free” and we all have been captive in one way or another due to sin. This may be because of our own sin or because we have been sinned against. These bad choices and actions have stifled our lives and quenched our vision, putting us into a perpetual state of status-quo. Our only hope for change is found in the provision of Christ. Through this incredible gift of grace we can experience the forgiveness, healing and freedom to restore our wounds, our marriages and important relationships.

One reality I’ve realized is that if Nancy and I don’t have harmony in our marriage we lose our ability to share vision. Sin and unresolved issues can cause us to focus inward and we lose sight of a preferred future together. The times that we seem to move ahead the fastest are the times when we are both experiencing internal freedom. It is because of this that Christ must be central in our relationship together. When we are free we can dream together of our future and plan how to get there. I love those times because they are challenging, exciting and empowering. When we are evenly yoked together in vision there is nothing we can’t do. A life of simplicity requires vision, and vision requires freedom, freedom that is only available in Christ.

For the life of simplicity to work there must be clarity about who you really are; you must know your role in each relationship in your life. Not knowing who you are as a person at any given time causes internal conflict and can damage relationships. For example, being the parent of an adult child can throw families into a tail spin. There comes a point when the parent is no longer the directing authority having permission to parent the child and it isn’t always clear when these roles begin to change. While the law says it is at age eighteen, the maturity level of the child may be older or younger. Every person and every relationship is different, but simply knowing and understanding your role will help. If you want to move into the life of simplicity you must have clarity as to who you are and who others are as you relate to them at any given time.

Relationships and roles may change, but personality and character must remain stable and consistent. The most complex of all people are those who struggle with their identity, not knowing who they really are. It is easy to confuse the changing of roles with the changing of personality. A man who is henpecked at home but is an aggressive demanding tyrant at work is a confused and unstable man. Family men, for example, are called to be loving, caring husbands and fathers at home but also loving, caring employers or workers in the marketplace. Their roles may change, but their character does not. If a person struggles with their identity they will never achieve the simplified life. The truth is, the only way to be stable and unwavering is to have your identify solid in Christ.

Through the years I’ve watched people who have had identity struggles suffer with emotional stability. I’ve seen people who try to take on various counter culture identities such as cowboys, bikers, gang members or musicians, confusing identity with livelihood or unique areas of interests. You can often tell by the way they dress, the way they talk or the vehicle they drive. On the other hand I’ve known many Christians who just happen to be musicians or ranchers or enjoy riding motorcycles. There is a big difference. When someone is lost in their identity, they are generally lost, confused and unstable. They often bounce from one identity to the next trying on different personalities and character types to see what feels most comfortable. This is most prevalent in the teen years, and justifiably so. But the mark of authentic adulthood is stability and consistency.

Jesus came to free us from our confusion and to give us a true sense of identity. He fills the believer with his Spirit to give us inner peace as a person so that we are no longer motivated to frantically try to discover who we are. With his Spirit comes the fruit of a righteous character, integrity and behavior. Paul wrote in Galatians 5, “When the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” The fruits of the Holy Spirit will provide the kind of attributes that will bring harmony to a person’s life, allowing them to be consistent and stable no matter what the circumstance or station of life. Only then will we be people for all seasons – unchanged by the pressures of a society continually trying to get us to conform to the world’s way of thinking about who we should be. Instead we will daily yield ourselves to the process of being transformed into Christ’s image. This is “Christ-likeness” and it is the only way to internal tranquility and being at peace with who we are. It is a prerequisite for the life of simplicity.