Celebrating SimplicitySample

Enough is Enough

Many people mistakenly think that to live simply one must have a small log cabin and grow all their own food. While that may be God’s call for some people, the only thing that image does for most of us is make us feel guilty for what we do have. 

The heart of the discipline of simplicity is found in the verse for today: we need a good balance of wealth to care adequately for our daily needs and the needs of those we are responsible for, but no more. Once we have reached that adequate threshold, we are invited to share the rest with others to further the kingdom of God. Someone once said that if you want more, desire less.

In my community many decent homes are knocked to the ground and replaced with a huge structure. Some are ten thousand plus square feet and will house only two or three people! The discipline of simplicity invites us to look at that scenario and ask, what would a reasonable amount of space be? The answer could be ten thousand square feet; the answer could also be a whole lot less.

We are asked to assess our needs for the season of life we are in, and that season will change as kids come and go, as we care for aging parents, etc. We cannot be judgmental about someone else in this discipline, as what your neighbor needs will not be the same thing you need. Our standard should be based on the call of Christ in our lives, not keeping up with the Joneses.

From Spiritual Disciplines Devotional by Valerie E. Hess.