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13
February
2007

Ten things for simplicity

Really good books are hard to come by. Even more so, ones that are really useful. We recently started Richard J. Foster’s “Celebration Of Discipline.” His book is chock-a-block with outstanding advice and scriptural reverence for being more like a true disciple.

One thing there is which all Satan’s cunning and all the snares of temptation cannot take by surprise, and that is simplicity. Soren Kierkegaard

Here are ten ways to simplicity:

first - Buy things for their usefulness, not for their prestige
(Utility comes first. Consider buying a bicycle. Stop trying to impress people with your clothes and impress them with your life.)
second - Reject anything that is producing an addiction in you
(Chocolate? TV? Real psychological need. Anything that you can’t do without, get rid of.)
third - Develop a habit of giving things away
(If you find that you are becoming attached to some possession, consider giving it to someone who needs it. Liberation comes from voluntary poverty.)
fourth - Refuse to be propagandized by the custodians of modern gadgetry
(Time saving devices never save time. Use environmental responsibility. Gadgets are an unnecessary drain on the resources of the world.)
fifth - Learn to enjoy things without owning them
(Owning things in our culture is an obsession. The idea that owning something gives you control is an illusion. Share things. Enjoy public parks and libraries.)

sixth - Develop a deeper appreciation for the creation
(Get close to the earth. Walk when you can. Listen to the birds, smell the flowers.)
seventh - Look with healthy skepticism at all “buy now, pay later” schemes
(Usury is bad. Prudence demands that we use extreme caution before incurring debt.)
eighth- Obey Jesus’ instruction about plain speech -”Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil”
(Mat 5:37)
(Avoid flattery and half-truths. Make honesty and integrity distinguishing characteristics of your speech.)
ninth - Reject anything that breeds the oppression of others
(In a world of limited resources, does our lust for wealth mean the poverty of others? Should we buy products that are made by people forced to work in sweatshops?)
tenth - Shun anything that distracts you from first seeking the Kingdom of God
(It is too easy to lose focus in the pursuit of legitimate, even good things which can quickly become the center of attention. “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God…” )

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