What does that mean?
Enjoy life’s basics?
Get back to nature?
Avoid complexity for peace of mind?
Yes, yes and yes.
Simply… rejoice in life’s simplicity.
The human mind is creative and curious. When you are pursuing a project and are in flow… time flies. Everything else disappears and you hone in on progressing your favoured task.
Conversely, if you are facing something difficult, and cannot figure your way through the problem, life becomes a source of anxiety and stress, you feel overwhelmed and annoyed. Everything loses balance and nothing feels right.
The same is true if you have too many things to deal with.
People envy those who are wealthy… but with wealth comes responsibility. A mansion requires maintenance and staff, it does not magically care for itself.
Employing people is a skill like everything else and acquiring wealth does not mean you know how to recruit, or how to avoid people who mean to steal from you.
I knew a wealthy, elderly man who lost all his money and moved from a mansion to a two bedroom flat. He said he felt free. Although he and his wife had a fabulous house, they spent all their time in the kitchen and family room. Most of the rooms were never used but he had to pay to maintain and clean them. He had a chauffeur and many staff whose lives he was responsible for. He said his time was not his own and he was always working and having to deal with business matters. He only ate out with clients and colleagues. He said it was such a weight off his mind to only have to think about his wife, his dog and himself. That he only felt joy and freedom when he lost most of his money says a lot about chasing life’s luxuries.
What did Jesus say?
NO ONE CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS. EITHER YOU WILL HATE THE ONE AND LOVE THE OTHER, OR YOU WILL BE DEVOTED TO THE ONE AND DESPISE THE OTHER. YOU CANNOT SERVE BOTH GOD AND MONEY.
MATTHEW 6: 24
What happens if you simplify your life? You notice things. You appreciate things. You take time to enjoy things. You take time to truly listen to other people.. You take time to truly listen to God. God is always there. He never moves but we crowd him out with all our other priorities.
What did Jesus say:
THEREFORE I TELL YOU, DO NOT WORRY ABOUT YOUR LIFE, WHAT YOU WILL EAT OR DRINK; OR ABOUT YOUR BODY, WHAT YOU WILL WEAR. IS NOT LIFE MORE THAN FOOD, AND THE BODY MORE THAN CLOTHES? LOOK AT THE BIRDS OF THE AIR; THEY DO NOT SOW OR REAP OR STORE AWAY IN BARNS, AND YET YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER FEEDS THEM. ARE YOU NOT MUCH MORE VALUABLE THAN THEY? CAN ANY ONE OF YOU BY WORRYING ADD A SINGLE HOUR TO YOUR LIFE? AND WHY DO YOU WORRY ABOUT CLOTHES? SEE HOW THE FLOWERS OF THE FIELD GROW. THEY DO NOT LABOUR OR SPIN. YET I TELL YOU THAT NOT EVEN SOLOMON IN ALL HIS SPLENDOUR WAS DRESSED LIKE ONE OF THESE. IF THAT IS HOW GOD CLOTHES THE GRASS OF THE FIELD, WHICH IS HERE TODAY AND TOMORROW IS THROWN INTO THE FIRE, WILL HE NOT MUCH MORE CLOTHE YOU – YOU OF LITTLE FAITH? SO DO NOT WORRY, SAYING WHAT SHALL WE EAT? OR WHAT SHALL WE DRINK? OR WHAT SHALL WE WEAR? FOR THE PAGANS RUN AFTER ALL THESE THINGS, AND YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER KNOWS THAT YOU NEED THEM. BUT SEEK FIRST HIS KINGDOM AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU AS WELL. THEREFORE DO NOT WORRY ABOUT TOMORROW, FOR TOMORROW WILL WORRY ABOUT ITSELF. EACH DAY HAS ENOUGH TROUBLE OF ITS OWN.
MATTHEW 6: 25 -34
So God is telling us to trust in him to provide for our every need. To turn to him in all things. He is our Father in Heaven who loves us… If we are trying to achieve great things in life and relying on our own resources, we will receive a life of stress and anxiety. Problems will always occur. That is the nature of this fallen world. If we focus on trying to control and fix these problems we miss the whole meaning of life.
Nest time you are facing something difficult in life… let it go.
Give it to God and instead focus on life’s simplicity.
How to do this?
Slow down.
Breathe.
Pray.
Look.
Listen.
Notice…
the birds in the trees…
the beauty of a flower.
The scent of a rose.
The smell of coffee.
Take a walk in nature.
Move your body.
Do some jumping jacks – maybe get a mini trampoline… do just 2 minutes twice a day.
Take time to read the Bible.
Listen to a podcast.
Sit with God.
Listen for God’s word.
Give God space to come in.
Two things will happen.
You will appreciate and see the beauty all around you.
You will feel peace.
God’s peace.
God’s presence will engulf you and suddenly everything in life takes on meaning.
Beautiful meaning and you can savour what gifts God has surrounded you with.
Life is a gift from God.
Do not take it for granted or race through it, focusing only on getting through things.
Take time to enjoy and rejoice in each precious moment.
One day it will be your last.
FATHER GOD WE THANK YOU FOR REVEALING YOUR GLORY TO US IN YOUR FABULOUS CREATION AND WE ASK THAT YOU SEND THE HOLY SPIRIT TO HELP US SLOW DOWN AND APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU HAVE GIVEN US. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE AMAZING THINGS LIFE OPENS UP BEFORE US. IN JESUS NAME WE PRAY. AMEN