Keep it Simple
by Karen Kinnaird
At first glance, I thought this would be easy, simple. But it’s not. I’m still trying to get my head around it. It’s the Christian discipline of simplicity.
We live in an affluent culture permeated with materialism and what some are calling 'hurry sickness.’ For many of us, it’s all we know. Our lives are cluttered with too much stuff, jammed schedules and a plethora of distractions that are draining our souls.
Enter COVID-19. In this unprecedented time of quarantines and physical distancing, many of our schedules have been cleared, and we’ve been forced to slow down. What a better time to embrace simplicity!
In the past year, popular Christian books and podcasts have been addressing the need to slow down, to rest, to honor the Sabbath and to simplify. People have responded overwhelmingly. But this is no fad. Simplicity is an ancient church tradition. Spiritual disciplines are modeled after the life and teachings of Jesus. He lived a very deliberate, intentional, unhurried life—even while being busy.
In the book The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry and the podcast Fight Hustle and End Hurry, John Mark Comer addresses simplicity. He writes, “Simplicity is a life where you give depth to what most matters. When you live a simple life, you create space in your schedule, in your home, in your financial or material world to go deep in what really matters.” Comer goes on to say, “(It) is more about what we’re saying ‘yes’ to and less about what we’re saying ‘no’ to.” Richard Foster said it well in his book Freedom of Simplicity, “Simplicity is an inward reality that can be seen in an outward lifestyle.”
Comer suggests three areas in which simplification can be manifested in our lives in order to focus on Jesus: possessions, schedule and attention.
1. Possessions/Money
In Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster writes, “Simplicity is the only thing that sufficiently re-orients our lives so that possessions can be genuinely enjoyed without destroying us...simplicity sets possessions in proper perspective...simplicity sets us free to receive the provision of God as a gift that is not ours to keep and can be freely shared with others.” Comer suggest avoiding impulse buys, opting for fewer, better things, sharing items and giving things away.
2. Schedule/Time
Comer poses the question, “What weighs you down?” He suggests assessing our schedules and keeping activities that are only God’s best for us, individually. Choose a few things in your routine to cut out. With everything currently being removed from our schedules, what a better time to re-evaluate what’s most important? Comer recommends being obedient to keep the Sabbath, taking a day for silence and solitude, and taking longer vacations in order to fully refresh.
3. Attention
At Council Road’s Ash Wednesday service, attendees had the opportunity to interact at several stations. One was dedicated to identifying distractions. The top three responses accounted for 41 percent of the responses: “computer/TV/YouTube,” “social media” and “phone.” Now is the time to declutter our minds, eliminate mental noise and create white space to reflect and be able to hear from God. Even during this isolation time, when we’re relying on email and social media even more to keep in touch, we should make even more effort to guard our minds. Consider checking the news once or twice per day then turning it off. Comer suggests taking all social media off smart phones and transferring to a desktop and checking it daily (or weekly under normal circumstances) and with a time limit. He suggests disabling smartphone notifications, news alerts and un-necessary apps. He also suggests taking email off smartphones.
At another Ash Wednesday station, attendees were challenged to consider how to live their lives more simply in order to give more generously to the Missions Ingathering Offering during the Lent season. I encourage you to re-evaluate, continue to be creative and remain faithful through the virus pandemic.
Ultimately, simplicity is so much more than cleaning out the closet, dropping an activity or downloading yet another app to limit social media. Foster wrote, “The central point for the discipline of simplicity is to seek the kingdom of God and the righteousness of His kingdom first and then everything necessary will come in its proper order.” That’s the biblical mandate—seek first the kingdom of God. It’s the freedom of living with the intentionality of saying “yes” to what matters most. What a better time than now!
Author Bio
Karen Kinnaird serves at the Spiritual Formation Team Coordinator for Council Road. She has been a minister’s wife for nearly 35 years and enjoys supporting and coaching Oklahoma Baptist church planting wives. An award-winning blogger, Karen has a passion for encouraging women searching for hope. She and her husband, Jimmy, have three adult children, two grandsons and a grandbaby on the way.