I read a book by Richard Foster called Celebration of Discipline a couple of years ago. Reading it introduced me to a some disciplines that I have never practiced. The church tradition I grew up in didn’t practice them so they were new to me. Among them were silence, solitude and simplicity. I would love to say that I faithfully practice all three, but sometimes it is hit and miss. All three disciplines have led me deeper in my relationship with God.
Simplicity though, was almost revolutionary for me. Sometimes when I talk about the disciple of simplicity with other people they give me this weird look. A look that says at the very least this guy is crazy at his worst he must be lazy. Simplicity is neither.
Simplicity is about ordering your world around God’s priorities for you. I’ve heard some say, “I wish God would give me more hours in a day.” But think about what that says about God. He hasn’t given me enough time to do everything he wants me to get done.
“We are trapped by a maze of competing attachments.” – Richard Foster
Simplicity is about understanding God’s priorities and the being able to live life with those priorities in mind. That doesn’t mean that the work won’t get hard, but Jesus said that his yoke was easy and his load was light. Jesus had enough time to get done everything in God’s will for his life.
I sound like a preacher … but I say all of that to say. I think I’ve let the discipline of simplicity slip by me lately. I wonder what I’ve tried to do outside of what God has for me …
BTW – MM our student minister also LOVES the chapter in Foster’s book about simplicity. Ask her about it.
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