Freedom of Simplicity

 “Tis a gift to be simple, “tis a gift to be free,

'tis a gift to come down where you ought to be,

and when we find ourselves in a place just right

“twill be in the valley of love and delight.

When true simplicity is gained

to bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed.

To turn, turn will be our delight

'till by turning, turning we come round right...

The words of this old Shaker hymn tell us that it is a gift to be simple, and that simplicity is freedom. I learned this first hand.

Several years ago I moved from a six bedroom house to a two bedroom apartment. You can store a lot of stuff in six bedrooms. The process of going through all that stuff and deciding what was really important and what was not was a hard one, but it was also incredibly freeing. How much stuff does one person need? How much stuff can one person use?

In addition to being more than I needed, there is a bondage that comes with having stuff. We have to maintain stuff. We have to take care of it and clean it and keep it in good running order. We have to keep the kids away from it so they don't wreck it. We invest time and emotion into things that don't enrich our lives, but instead suck the energy from it. When we get a lot of it, we pay to store it. 

 

“Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Luke 12:15

God intends us to have enough to live our lives. Remember when Jesus told his followers not to worry about what they wear, or what they would eat or drink, because their Father was able to provide for them? We don't need to accumulate stuff because we have a Father who loves us and is able to provide. Stuff just gets in the way.

As I was sorting through six bedrooms and twenty-five years of stuff, I realized how I had complicated my life. I had limited my freedom by accumulating an abundance of possessions. It was physically limiting. I couldn't walk through one room because of the stacks of boxes of stuff being stored. I couldn't quickly move because I had all of this stuff that had to be sorted. I couldn't get rid of that because I might need it someday! Never mind that someday might never come. I couldn't get rid of that because it was the kids first _______. Fill in the blank. First art project. Coming home outfit. Favorite blanket. Everything had sentimental value. The thing is that it had no value to the kids. It was old, their children would never wear or use it. It had value to me because it triggered a memory, and it felt like if I got rid of it I would be getting rid of the memory. 

 

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matt. 6:19-21

 

The point of getting rid of stuff, of living a simpler life, is to make room for Jesus. When he tells us not to worry, he tells us to instead “seek first the kingdom of God.” When we simplify, we tell God that we trust him to provide. In that future moment, when we might need that stuff, God can provide. He knows our needs. When we no longer have stuff that needs to be maintained, we can spend that time getting to know him and his desires for our lives. When we no longer have to pay to store that stuff, we can pay off debt, which is also a burden, or use that money to further his kingdom. When we no longer have to focus on our stuff, we are free to focus on him. We are free from bondage and anxiety and busy-ness to live in the joy he desires for us.

Moving from a big house to a small apartment wasn't easy at the time, butI can honestly say it has been good. I haven't missed anything I got rid of. Not one thing. I can clean my whole apartment in under an hour, and that is freeing!

Having gotten rid of so much, there are two things I have to be careful about; the first is to avoid the temptation of re-accumulating stuff. I like to shop. My daughters and I call it “retail therapy.” Try living for one month without purchasing anything. Use up the food in your pantry. Dig into the back of your closet for clothes instead of buying new. Put the clothes you have together in new ways to feel like new outfits. Going for a month without shopping helps you realign your focus. You stop reading the ads if you know you aren't going shopping. You learn to appreciate what you have. The second thing to be careful about is that I use some of my extra time to focus on God, on his kingdom. I want to live in the joy he provides. How does he want me to live? How can my life reflect him to others?

Simplicity is freedom. What is keeping you in bondage, restricting your freedom and using your resources?