It was either in the year 2000 or 2001 that I listened to Dr. Mike Ruffin preach a sermon at the First Baptist Church in Adel, GA and his “take home” point still resonates with me today. Live simple.
Simple living has become more important to me in the last 5 years and I have seen just how much more conducive to holiness it is than complicated living. By simple living I do not mean boring living. I do not mean avoiding risks. I do not mean staying behind closed doors.
I do mean keeping room in your life to breathe.
I do mean living with eternity in mind – that tends to focus our time on things that matter.
I do mean remembering what defines you (it isn’t your job or your car).
I do mean being thankful for…well…everything.
I do mean reading books.
I do mean eating with your family.
I do mean thinking about others.
I do mean living within your means.
Living simple as a Christian might very well be the most radical thing we do with our lives. As the theologian David Lee Roth once said, “I found the simple life aint so simple.” Things get complicated. Life is tough. From a Christian worldview, however, the presence of Christ in us changes everything. Complications and difficulty and pain and suffering can be placed under the blessing of simplicity, not as a way to make those things go away, but as a way to live through them and not avoid them.
It is usually pretty easy to spot a person who is not living simple. They are usually marked by an inability to be calm. They usually are stressed and worried about the next thing happening in their lives. They usually create anxiety instead of fostering peace. They usually have a hard time listening. They usually are not content to just be.
If Jesus can calm the storm and quiet the raging sea, he can certainly do the same thing in your life.
I agree.
So true. Very well written and a good reminder. It’s also amazing how certain sermons can just stick with you.
Enjoying these frequent posts!