This is hands down my favorite chapter in this book. I have read this book a couple times and this particular chapter gets me every time. Every time it is for different reasons but I think the gentle and sometimes hard reminder is that I live in a place where simplicity can so easily be lost. I live in one of the most affluent areas not only in the California or the United States but in the world and how quickly I can become discontent with all that I have. Instead of flipping to the other extreme and giving everything up and living "simply" I love the idea of the balance in this chapter. I know that God has called me to live in this place, teach at this school and be in community with these students, teachers, friends, family, etc right now regardless of the affluence or poverty in where you live you can miss simplicity if you are not seeking Christ and his Kingdom.
This chapter is the reminder that regardless of what you have that seeking my value and identity in this place that values and identifies you based in what you have can crush me in the same way that focusing on the "simple" life can be crushing but instead seeking my value and identity in Christ, as Foster said on page 86, " 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. It is impossible to over estimate the importance of Jesus' insight at this point. Everything hinges upon maintaining the "first" thing first. Nothing must come before the kingdom of God, including the desire for a simple lifestyle."
Whether I have a lot or a little if I am not fixed on the Kingdom and thankful for what I have giving all glory to God for the much I have it doesn't matter. God will and does take care of me, and as I seek His kingdom he will take care of mine. What you have is not defining of simplicity but who you are giving glory and honor to is what defines that, to live simply is to live for Christ, that's it, bottom line.
Hi Stef, your story strikes me and challenges me as a modern day parable of Philipians 3 -"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead." Thanks for the parable Stef. We grew up a few minutes from each other so I can relate to your words of truth and challenge!
ReplyDeleteWhoops - I meant Steph! not Stef. Sorry about that :).
ReplyDelete