SIMPLICITY AND TRUST
I've found that as my trust level in Jesus Christ goes up, my willingness and creativity about how to simplify my life and my life-style also increases. My ongoing struggle with greed is what usually keeps me from seeing the life of simplicity Jesus wants me to know -- and what tempts me to not make the choice to live with less so I can discover what it's like to know more of Jesus Christ and His plans for my life. Like the old Sunday School song says, "The Devil is a sly old fox."
For me, greed is wanting things I don't have -- buying into the lie that once these things are in my possession I will somehow be transformed into someone I am currently not. But real transformation comes only through Jesus Christ. And so to live a life of simplicity in greater measure means that I must crave, long for, desire, and seek after this transformation of my mind, heart, words, and actions more than I crave, long for, desire, and seek after whatever else I believe might make me more happy.
What author Sam Storms says about "holiness" in his book Pleasures Evermore I could easily adapt to say about "simplicity". And what he says about "sin" I could easily adapt to speak of "greed". Here's what Sam writes, with the words "simplicity" and "greed" added into the text ...
The key to holiness [simplicity] isn’t
trying harder to hate sin, or avoid
sin, or be done with sin.
The key to holiness [simplicity] is falling
deeper in love with Jesus … I don’t believe
[as I once did] that the power to turn
from “the passing pleasures of sin” [greed]
spoken of in HEBREWS 11:25 is the result
of a religious Just-Say-No-Campaign.
How do you fight the pleasure of sin
[greed]? I’ll tell you … with another pleasure.
Holiness [simplicity] is not attained, at
least not in any lasting, life-changing way,
merely through prohibitions, threats,
fear, or shame-based appeals.
Holiness [simplicity] is attained by
believing in, trusting, banking on, resting
in, savoring, and cherishing God’s promise
of a superior happiness that comes only
by falling deeper in love with Jesus Christ.
The power that the pleasures of sin
[greed] exert on the human soul will
ultimately be overcome only by the
superior power of the pleasures of
knowing and being known, loving and
being loved by God in Christ.”
[pp. 17-28 | changes/additions mine]
trying harder to hate sin, or avoid
sin, or be done with sin.
The key to holiness [simplicity] is falling
deeper in love with Jesus … I don’t believe
[as I once did] that the power to turn
from “the passing pleasures of sin” [greed]
spoken of in HEBREWS 11:25 is the result
of a religious Just-Say-No-Campaign.
How do you fight the pleasure of sin
[greed]? I’ll tell you … with another pleasure.
Holiness [simplicity] is not attained, at
least not in any lasting, life-changing way,
merely through prohibitions, threats,
fear, or shame-based appeals.
Holiness [simplicity] is attained by
believing in, trusting, banking on, resting
in, savoring, and cherishing God’s promise
of a superior happiness that comes only
by falling deeper in love with Jesus Christ.
The power that the pleasures of sin
[greed] exert on the human soul will
ultimately be overcome only by the
superior power of the pleasures of
knowing and being known, loving and
being loved by God in Christ.”
[pp. 17-28 | changes/additions mine]
My heart's desire is to know more Jesus Christ more ... and in knowing Him more, to follow Him more nearly. Godspeed.
read.think.pray.live.
Gregg
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