Simply seeking God

When I think of simplicity, the words of Henry David Thoreau echo in my mind: Simplify, simplify, simplify!

All right, already. I think I got the message, Henry.

In this day and age of Pinterest and smartphones and credit cards the call to simplify can seem like a call from the past. Even Christians get sucked into our materialistic culture and ask, "Didn't God bless me with money so I can have all these nice things?"

Umm.... hate to break it to you, but probably not.

Living simply is a way for Christians to truly utilize the gifts they have been given to do better for others. Christians can be generous with the things they have and avoid getting things they do not need. In a society where we encounter millions of advertisements a day, it is hard to make the distinction between what we want and what we need, but a distinction there is nonetheless. What helps us to make the distinction is laid out for us in Matthew 6:33:

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

When we put God first, everything falls into place. No matter how many times I hear this, it still rings true. When we put God first, the things we own and invest our money in do not seem to matter as much. When we put God first, living simply becomes the natural thing to do.

The idea of living simply is not a new one to me. Growing up, my parents did not buy things we did not need.  I had a strict dress code/ uniform in high school which meant my clothes back then were simple. It was never the "things" that mattered. Sometimes I was a little bit embarrassed that we didn't have cable television or a cottage to go to in the summertime, but they were not things I missed when I was growing up (instead I learned to enjoy my friends' cottages and cable TV).

Interestingly enough, it was not until I started college that I started to grow away from the simple lifestyle I was used to. I was free to do what I wanted; to have the the things I wanted (and needed). I formed vanity about all my unique things-- my polka-dotted frying pan, my pink antique lamp, my exotic futon. The few extra dollars it cost to have something unique over the standard item was well worth it in my eyes.

This thinking overwhelmingly applied to clothes. In part because of the dress code I grew up with, I had a limited selection of "normal" clothes. When I got to college, I bought clothes left and right. Even so, I do not have an excessive amount of clothes. What I do have is an assortment of pieces that I take great pride in. I love this yellow cardigan, and those pink pants, and that blue scarf. When I get dressed in the morning, I look forward to the compliments I am sure to get that day on my outfit. And if anyone dares to have the same item of clothing as I do, it immediately goes to the bottom of the drawer. Uniqueness is my thing. Don't mess with it.

So now I sound like a psychotic protector of clothing. I'm not crazy, I promise. I just want to give some background in order to explain what I chose to do for my practice of simplicity this week. After much thought and wrestling, I decided to wear only plain t-shirts and jeans for a week. As in the free, box-shaped t-shirts that you get from visiting colleges and doing service projects. I have plenty of those, and I only wear them when I work out (which has become a rare occurrence recently).

I forgot on the first day of my practice, grabbing an outfit that I looked forward to wearing that day. Then I remembered: t-shirt! So I sadly put away my sophisticated clothes and put on my purple Kuyper College tee. At least I was showing some school spirit.

And, just like that, I got through this week. Acting out the practice did not bring me any spiritual epiphanies, although I did realize that dressing simply is SO much quicker and easier than stressing about choosing clothes for the day. I also learned that people liked me when I wore plain clothes just as much as when I dressed up (my boyfriend was sure to remind me I am still beautiful even when my hair is in a ponytail and I'm wearing a t-shirt. Love that guy). So maybe the overall thing I will take away from this week is that simplicity breeds contentment. I knew that I was not trying to impress others, so why would I waste time wishing I was gaining other people's approval? I was content in my own skin and enjoyed the peace that brought to my surprisingly hectic week.

However, as hinted at before, I did not do a good job of truly seeking God this week. My real spiritual challenge came at the beginning of the week when I was deciding how to practice this discipline. God did work on my heart then, and I have been convicted about the worth I put into my necessary but *unique* possessions. I seek to continue working on that. I have been especially convicted about seeking God's kingdom first. I have been distracted the past few days, but I want to get back on track.

So I'm seeking first his kingdom. I look forward to the simplicity that will hopefully follow.

Thanks for reading,
Sara Joy