A Kingdom Focus
By simplicity, we mean “limiting the number of our possessions, expenses, activities, and social obligations to a level where we are free to live joyfully in the kingdom with Jesus” (John Mark Comer). Simplicity is the practice of “no” in our lives. The way of simplicity starts inside our hearts and overflows into our habits. Richard Foster describes simplicity as “an inward reality that results in an outward lifestyle.” Biblically, to be simple is to narrow the focus of our desires: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). Our goal(s) must be simple, not complex. Simplicity is about prioritizing who we are and desire to be as Christians. The question to ask is, Do the possessions I have and the schedule I commit to reflect the person I want to become? The aim of our lives will determine how we spend them.
Culprits of Complexity
The common culprits of complexity are possessions, schedules, and distractions. Each of these realms should be scissored by the goal of simplicity. Jesus warns us about the slavery of stuff (Matthew 6:19-21; Luke 12:15). Simplicity’s problem with possessions is their addictive effects. Are our habits of buying and obtaining promoting contentedness with our possessions or the need for more? Paul gave a principle for simple possessions in his letter to Timothy that we should examine ourselves in light of: “But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content” (1 Timothy 6:8).
Our schedules wreak havoc on simplicity as well. The amount of passive yeses compared to deliberate noes in our rhythms of configuring our days and weeks muddies the aims of our lives. Part of the problem is the infinite options we have. With so many things to choose, we forget the people we are called to invest in (family, church, and next door neighbors). Do our calendars reflect a commitment to intentional simplicity or unreflective complexity? Lastly, cheap distractions eat away at simplicity of life and thought. A.W. Tozer bemoaned this reality in 1960:
Our schedules wreak havoc on simplicity as well. The amount of passive yeses compared to deliberate noes in our rhythms of configuring our days and weeks muddies the aims of our lives. Part of the problem is the infinite options we have. With so many things to choose, we forget the people we are called to invest in (family, church, and next door neighbors). Do our calendars reflect a commitment to intentional simplicity or unreflective complexity? Lastly, cheap distractions eat away at simplicity of life and thought. A.W. Tozer bemoaned this reality in 1960:
One way the civilized world destroys men is by preventing them from thinking their own thoughts…Our “vastly improved methods of communication” of which the shortsighted boast so loudly now enable a few men in strategic centers to feed into millions of minds alien thought-stuff, ready-made and predigested. A little effortless assimilation of these borrowed ideas and the average man has done all the thinking he will or can do…
– Tozer, Let's Cultivate Simplicity and Solitude
– Tozer, Let's Cultivate Simplicity and Solitude
He went on to write that “Americans live no longer in homes, but in theaters.” The constant hum of entertainment by phone, tv, or earbuds burns our mental energy from dawn to dusk. This chaotic choir in our lives shouts away the ability to think in solitude or even think solely on the Word of God. Do our entertainment habits and restraints cultivate simplicity of life or add to life’s overstimulation?
Practical Steps
For practical steps, here are two lists of ways forward by two different authors on simplicity, A.W. Tozer and Richard Foster. These can be used for reflection and hopefully spark action steps toward simplicity:
Richard Foster:
1. Buy things for their usefulness rather than their status.
2. Reject anything that is producing an addiction in you.
3. Develop a habit of giving things away.
4. Refuse to be propagandized by the custodians of modern gadgetry.
5. Learn to enjoy things without owning them.
6. Develop a deeper appreciation for the creation.
7. Look with a healthy skepticism at all “buy now, pay later” schemes.
8. Obey Jesus’ instructions about plain, honest speech (Matthew 5:37).
9. Reject anything that breeds the oppression of others.
10. Shun anything that distracts you from seeking first the kingdom of God.
A.W. Tozer:
1. Retire from the world each day to some private spot.
2. Stay in the secret place until the surrounding noises begin to fade, and God’s presence envelops you.
3. Stop trying to compete with others.
4. Learn to pray inwardly every moment.
5. Read less but read more of what is vital to your inner life.
6. Never let your mind remain scattered for very long.
7. Call home your roving thoughts.
8. Gaze on Christ with the eyes of your soul.
9. Practice spiritual concentration.
10. Meditate on the Scriptures
Richard Foster:
1. Buy things for their usefulness rather than their status.
2. Reject anything that is producing an addiction in you.
3. Develop a habit of giving things away.
4. Refuse to be propagandized by the custodians of modern gadgetry.
5. Learn to enjoy things without owning them.
6. Develop a deeper appreciation for the creation.
7. Look with a healthy skepticism at all “buy now, pay later” schemes.
8. Obey Jesus’ instructions about plain, honest speech (Matthew 5:37).
9. Reject anything that breeds the oppression of others.
10. Shun anything that distracts you from seeking first the kingdom of God.
A.W. Tozer:
1. Retire from the world each day to some private spot.
2. Stay in the secret place until the surrounding noises begin to fade, and God’s presence envelops you.
3. Stop trying to compete with others.
4. Learn to pray inwardly every moment.
5. Read less but read more of what is vital to your inner life.
6. Never let your mind remain scattered for very long.
7. Call home your roving thoughts.
8. Gaze on Christ with the eyes of your soul.
9. Practice spiritual concentration.
10. Meditate on the Scriptures
Resources:
- Freedom of Simplicity: Finding Harmony in a Complex World by Richard Foster (book)
- Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist (book)
- The Radical Disciple: Some Neglected Aspects of Our Calling by John Stott (book)