Live Simple
Living simple has always intrigued me but always felt outside of my reach. It wasn’t until we had kids that it started to be something I wanted to implement in my own life. When we hear people talk about living simple, we also think that means minimalism, which I cannot achieve, and I’m sure some of you agree. However, since having kids, I have developed a new understanding of living simple, which I want to strive for and have been getting better at implementing in my own life.
When you start to simplify things and get away from the consumer addiction, you realize simplicity is a form of stewardship and generosity, with the other side of the coin being sharing. Living a simple life gives you more time and money to spend with people. If you have fewer things, you’re not spending time cleaning them up and caring for them. If you shop less, you have more time and money. A simple life means less purging, less waste on things that break in a couple minutes, and more time and money spent on the things that matter.
Not only that, but when you settle into what a simple life is like, you’re more content. You have freedom in your soul that you’re no longer trying to prove anything or feel like you need a particular thing or things to satisfy yourself. You’re not trying for a house or car outside of what you can afford because you just want life to be simple. Less bills, less pressure; just simple.
What does a Simple life look like?
Simple is different than minimalism because it isn’t about how much you do or don’t have; it’s about a life centered around your purpose and who God made you to be. So living simple will look different for each of us, but it will mean that we live a life of enough. And while I think we would all say we agree, it’s difficult to live out at all times in a consumer-driven right now culture. There are plenty of times when I find myself buying things I don’tdon’t need because it’s cheap and there, and it makes me a little happy for the moment.
Here’s an example of how I took a step towards a simpler life; let me just say I’m a bookworm. Love books, love having them; I identify entirely with Limony Sniket in saying “It is most likely that I will die next to a pile of books I was meant to read.” And when you think about it, books are generally unneeded daily. One of the things we did when we moved this last time is I got rid of 9 Ikea bags of books that I didn’t like or wasn’twasn’t going to read, or just wasn’t interested in anymore, and got a kindle. Now I do a ton of borrowing from the library through Libby. I still have a lot of books, and I sometimes want to read a physical book or go to a bookstore. But I have simplified this area significantly, which has simplified life in general.
Another example is our current housing situation. My husband and I have discussed saving up for a custom home. We knew it would take a while, but we were looking at land. Through that process, we realized we would be happier with a home that needed some work, but we could start enjoying now, pay off, and enjoy for a long time. So we found the place we’re moving into and are so excited about how many opportunities it offers us moving forward. And we’re committed to paying the house off as soon as possible because of all the opportunities that will open for us once we have no mortgage payments.
The weird part about a simple life is reframing what a successful life should look like. The world says it seems one way, but when we follow Jesus, we know there are different priorities over showing off everything we can afford. When you start to focus on what’s important, it becomes easier not to waste your money on frivolous things just to make people believe you have some kind of special status or to make yourself feel better for a minute compliment.
How do I start to live Simple?
So this week, come up with what success looks like in your life as you follow Jesus. What is Jesus telling you is most important? What brings you joy? What are ways you like to spread hope and joy? When you know what success should look like, it’s easier to know when the world is giving you a counterfeit version. And the more we focus on who Jesus wants us to be and our purpose in this world, the easier it becomes to ignore what everyone else is doing and stay true to being our own little weirdo.
Stay Weird,
