What
does it mean to live in simplicity?
According to Foster, simplicity is not only about the outward lifestyle
of wearing clothes that are simple, rejecting items that could become
addicting, and speaking truths all the time.
Instead, it is “an inward reality that results in an outward life-style”
(79). This means that simplicity can be
looked at as a way of life all of the time.
It means constantly checking oneself to see how much a person is
influenced by the values and trends of culture.
However, simplicity is NOT meant to be a map to the jolly fun times of asceticism. Quite the opposite. By practicing simplicity, we are meant to
seek first the kingdom of God (inward practice) which will bring about the
outward expressions mentioned above.
For this week, my goal was to
practice the inward reality of simplicity.
I wanted to rid myself of the anxiety that will cripple the inward life
of simplicity. In order to do this, I
wanted to be convicted that my life is a gift by thinking of things that I am
thankful for, know that God cares for and sustains me in every area of my life
and the lives of others, and have a willingness to give of myself to
others. At first, I thought that this
would be relatively easy. However, as
the days started to melt away because of the busyness of life, I would realize at
different times that I didn’t really think that I was practicing the discipline
of simplicity well. You see, I am a
person that enjoys having strict guidelines to follow, almost a checklist of
sorts. Instead, this week was more of a
reflection upon my life and the active meditation upon my day to day life. Without setting strict guidelines for myself,
the discipline of simplicity was somewhat lost in the days that I attempted to
practice it.
Looking back at the past days, I have to realize that I didn’t totally
fail in the area of practicing inward simplicity. For example, at a Christmas party that I
attended – I know, I know…WAY too early for those shindigs – I was overwhelmed
with thankfulness at the family that God has provided for me. God showed me His love and care in those
moments by giving me a bigger perspective and glimpse into what community
really looks like. Another example is
the reminder that I got every time I walked out my door. On the other side of the hall, my dorm
neighbors have a white board on their door that currently asks the question, “So
what has God done for you today?” People
have been writing their responses to this question and these answers have been
wonderful reminders to know that everything that I have is a gift.
So far, this has been probably the
most difficult disciplines for me to practice.
However, I did enjoy taking random times throughout my day by just
thinking about how much God has blessed me and sustained me even in
circumstances that I would not consider a joy.
I really learned a lot about how I continue to put things that are less
important before God but, at the same time, how God continues to pursue
me. As it turns out, simplicity is not
so simple after all!
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