Life Looks Different

I have experienced times of need and times of abundance. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of contentment, whether I go satisfied or hungry, have plenty or nothing. I am able to do all things through the one who strengthens me. Philippians 4:12-13 NET

Life is different now, a pandemic, the previous months have redefined anything we knew prior, and the next several months will usher in a new normal.. when we were talking about this season recently we found we are all learning in a time of turmoil, across our country, and across hundreds of other nations. We are being told to social-distance, and some even to self-isolate.  Maybe there would be less anxiety if we taught “Let’s be ok with embracing the quiet, the pause, the interruption to our daily schedules of too much to do, not enough hours in the day” maybe Jesus is asking us to give Him certain pieces of our lives, to step back, simplify... its not always necessary to go to 2 different grocery stores in a day for the perfect head of lettuce.  Pay attention to the quiet, steady urgings of Holy Spirit and His urge to have us offer prayer to those around us. It’s easy to focus on so many other things in our immediate circumference when in a turmoil of to do lists, social commitments (now online) – take a deep breath, being aware of God’s hurting people that we pass by or interact with while running essential errands can make all the difference in our day and theirs, simple interactions that are blessings. 

So many of us are restless, searching for something of value in our lives and not finding it. Many others are unable to handle even the smallest afflictions and inconveniences without verbalizing our complaints. Still others live such discontent lives that we are never asked by any similarly discontent unbeliever to give a reason for the hope that we have. We evidently don’t have nor display much hope. 

What makes this all the more amazing is that, for over two and a half centuries, developments in science, industry, the economy, and medicine have steadily and systematically reduced the physical miseries common to every preceding generation of humanity. Yet despite all of these advancements, we are more discontent than ever. Is part of the answer to simplify? Is it to remove stuff from our homes that get daily use only because we have to spend hours moving them, organizing them with routine housework? Id rather be sitting in the sun reading God’s work, His Bible. 

Maybe a piece in our present-day discontentment is that we are more aware of the general suffering of the human race than ever before. Our smartphones link us to news apps that keep us up to date on major occurrences around the world, pouring a steady stream of human suffering into our consciousness.  Again, pause, breath, clear your schedule of anything not absolutely necessary. With Holy Spirit walking beside us in this pulsating, seething world of restless unhappiness we will find the opportunity to rediscover the rare jewel of abiding with Jesus, He can pour Christian contentment into us if we make room for Him — So important is the dwelling in contentment that apostle Paul declared in Philippians 4:12: the verse we first met with today....“In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content.” 

Lets begin, and continue, cultivating a relationship with God through prayer. Carving out that time to listen for God’s guidance is super important. It was important yesterday, It matters today when we are saying goodnight to a loved one, and it matters tomorrow because that day is never promised. When the stakes are high, emotions are running high, and everyone really wants God to supply the answers to the days ahead, intentionally listening for God and experiencing God’s deep peace and love is so needed. When we carry that light received so freely from our Lord we can pour it over our households, social groups, neighbourhoods. We are all community together, for better or for worse. Even in the midst of turmoil and uncertainty, God is with us and is active. Praise be to God! 

For us this recent season of “quiet” has been a reminder to get on our knees before God and thank Him for providing.... don’t get me wrong, having less does not demand living without furniture or electricity.... it does not demand giving away everything we own at once, or at all. It is about having space in a room for God to fill...it is quality over quantity..... When we accept God’s grace of less, which fill us overabundantly, we will see the most amazing thing starting to happen. We begin to learn what is truly essential and what isn't, and with each nonessential thing we let go of, our hearts grow calmer, quieter, more open, and more joyful. Our souls grow lighter. Our relationships grow deeper. And each and every time God pries our hands off of the things we cling to, He fills them anew with more of Himself.

Our goal should be to find simplicity—not only because of its deep roots in Scripture, but because we want to find Jesus in the every day.  It turns out that God created and formed each of us for lives of generous simplicity; we only need to invite Him in to help us make sense of our mess. Over time, the question for us changed from “How can we survive?” to “How can we let God arrange our lives, so we become the kind of people God created us to be?” 

As the Gospel of Luke tells us our possessions can never give us life...  

He said to them, watch out and guard yourself from all types of greed, because one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. Luke 12:15 NET

Are we willing to explore the idea that there is more joy to be found in owning less than we can ever find in accumulating more? I hope so because I know from years of experience that by getting rid of the excess stuff in every room, we can transform our home so that we feel not only free from the stress of so much clutter around us but also free to live a life focused on following God’s call, a life free to love and serve others as God intended.

Or another question we can ask ourselves.... When has preoccupation with something we own kept us from serving someone else?

.... for some homes filled with treasured items, collected momentos, lovely art, furniture and textiles it creates a rich welcoming God infused space, and for some there is more joy to be found in owning less than in accumulating more...

What if the problem isn’t that we don’t own enough stuff or aren’t managing all our stuff well enough? What if the problem is that we’re living in the homes that advertisers and retailers want us to have instead of the homes that deep down God knows we really want and need? 

I’d like to suggest that what the so many of us need if we are going to start living more fulfilled lives is a minimalist makeover of our homes.   Kinda daunting, and not for everyone.... Many people mistakenly think that to live simply one must have a small cabin and grow all their own food. While that may be God’s beautiful 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.

In BC communities many decent homes are knocked to the ground and replaced with a huge structure. Some are four 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. 

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

Choose to focus on God. Don’t let your heart be enslaved to the things of this world. When we shift our focus to Him, His Peace will consume us. His Peace will overtake us. Pray and seek God’s face. Choose to let your heart reflect His Word. The landscape that we see today will change. The leaders that we see today will change. The nations that we see today will change. God never changes. His Word never changes. His Way of doing things will never change. Choose to shift your focus. Let’s build our lives on His Word. Build our lives on the Rock that never changes  

1 Peter 1:23-25 NET You have been born anew, not from perishable but from imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God. For all flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of the grass; the grass withers and the flower falls off, but the word of the Lord endures forever. And this is the word that was proclaimed to you.

Downsizing, Minimalism is not about taking something away from us; it’s about giving something to us. Room for Jesus Christ. My definition of minimalism is “the intentional promotion of things we most value that bring glory to God, and encourage fellowship and the removal of anything that distracts us from Him.” Minimizing is actually optimizing—reducing the number of possessions so we can nurture what we value most in life and not become distracted from anything that keeps us from living out God’s purpose. It’s individual, freeing, and life promoting. 

We’ve found that minimizing our home changes attitudes toward what we hold on to and what we give away. That is, it encourages gratitude and generosity. Both attitudes can help us in becoming the person God wants us want to be.   When we not only don’t have too much stuff but also don’t want too much stuff, we experience a contentment that the person who lusts after the latest gadgetry and current must have items will never know. When our collections of possessions is down to just the stuff we need, then we not only notice them more but also appreciate them more. We feel satisfaction and peace. Gratitude arises within, and that’s a gift from Holy Spirit.  Gratitude also reminds us that we have so much to give others.

That leads us to generosity. Minimalism allows us to live a more selfless lifestyle. If we are no longer trying to live a life of get, get, get, we can begin living a life of give, give, give. We become generous people, the kind of people who water this parched world of ours. 

Maybe a first step means the giving of excess possessions. We can find great joy in donating to others. I hope you find that generosity brings its own rewards—that you will know God’s blessing, like how it makes us feel to give. 

Subsequently, we will look for more opportunities to be generous. If we sell items we no longer need we can use some of the excess money we have to support causes and ministries we believe in. If we simplify our schedules, use the availability we’ve created in our schedules to serve and volunteer. God loves a cheerful giver, a giver of time, money, assistance. 

Each one of you should give just as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, because God loves a cheerful giver.  And God is able to make all grace overflow to you so that because you have enough of everything in every way at all times, you will overflow in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:7-8 NET

The great thing about generosity is that once you start giving things away, you can’t help but grow in joy.  When have you experienced the joy of being generous? Why do you think we gain such satisfaction from giving money and possessions to others?

And for many of us there are so many things going on with so many obligations how do we trim back?  We focus on God.... our marriages.... our children.....

All the other stuff.... friends, family, church volunteering, holidaying, Jesus will sort out for us. Instead of taking things into our own hands, we’ll leave them in His. When we trust Him in this way, we will experience rest.