Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this day. It is going to be brilliant, beautiful, and bountiful today. I awoke very early this morning and gazed through the window; the moon was shinning with extravagant brilliance. I said, "Thank you Jesus for the gift of this new day." The Lord blessed us with wonderful Wednesday gathering for Bible study and fellowship. We looked at Mathews 6:16 ff. Richard Foster, in his book, “Celebration of Disciple” begins by talking about the inward disciplines of a Christian: meditation, prayer, fasting, and study. We have to start there. Then he begins to talk about the outward disciplines and the first outward discipline for a Christian that he discusses is simplicity.
In the book, he talks about how there are two extremes when it comes to simplicity. On one hand we have people who believe that simplicity is not important. On the other hand, we have the people who believe that simplicity is the mark of a good Christian. Usually the marks they use to measure this simplicity are not godly, measuring simplicity by the size of the house we live in, the kind of car we drive, or the style of clothing we wear. There obviously are abuses on both sides of such a measuring mechanism.
In Matthew 6:25-33 a better rule is given for us to follow. We are to keep the main thing the main thing. That is, the main thing for a Christian is to seek the kingdom of God and the righteousness of Christ’s Kingdom. Nothing is to overshadow or preempt the Kingdom of God, including the desire for a simple lifestyle. Simplicity itself becomes idolatry when it becomes the primary goal, even over seeking the kingdom. Focusing upon the Kingdom produces an inward character that makes simplicity possible. Nothing else can be central. The desire to get out of the rat race cannot be central, the injustices of the distribution of the world’s wealth cannot be central, and the concern for the environment cannot be central. Seeking God’s Kingdom and seeking after Christ is the main thing.
By seeking after Christ and his kingdom, we become free from the concern of possessions.
Neither the greedy nor the miserly knows this freedom. It has nothing to do with abundance of possessions or the lack thereof. It rests upon an inward spirit of trust. The fact that a person is living without things is no guarantee that he or she is living in simplicity. Paul taught us that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, and I have discovered that often those who have it the least often are the same persons who love it the most. It is possible for a person to be forced into a life style of simplicity and to be filled with anxiety. Conversely, wealth does not bring freedom from anxiety. Frequently it makes our anxiety worse.
Freedom from anxiety is characterized by three inner attitudes. Richard Foster calls these the inward realities of simplicity. If what we have has been received as a gift, if what we have is cared for by God, and if what we have is available to others, then we will be free from anxiety. I like one of his quotes, which states, "We buy things we do not need to please people we do not like".
May the Lord of the universe, the Lord of the new Heaven and the new Earth, propel and provoke us to glorify Him and enjoy His gifts today. May He use us in some measure to further His Kingdom on earth. Blessed be His Name.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0Byp7aK2DA
O Lord, our heavenly Father,
almighty and everlasting God,
who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day;
defend us in the same with thy mighty power;
and grant that this day we fall into no sin,
neither run into any kind of danger,
but that all our doings may be ordered by thy governance,
to do always that is righteous in thy sight;
through Jesus Christ our Lord." Church Of England" " Morning Prayer"
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