the simple life, part 4

And finally...the last installment in my series on simplicity. After lingering for probably too long on this, I finally wanted to springboard once more off of Foster and talk about the outward manifestations of this discipline. As I've said all along, the inward reality is the foundation and thus the first thing to cultivate. However, of course this must actually make a difference in real day-to-day habits. Surely one wouldn't cultivate an inward spirit of simplicity, a humble trust in the Lord, and then just follow after every material whim the culture spins out. So, I just wanted to share Foster's list of suggestions here for some guidance in outward simplicity. This list is by no means exhaustive, nor is it a set of strict biblical rules. It's merely intended to create some guiding principles. Hopefully you will find it as helpful as I have. As with any spiritual discipline, if we are cultivating a deep intimacy with God in Christ, then we will be equipped by the Spirit to discern the best ways to respond to the challenges of any given time and place, just as He equips us to do all to the glory of God and in freedom rather than a spirit of legalism.

1) Buy things for their usefulness rather than their status. We spend exorbitant amounts of money simply trying to impress people we don't even know (and maybe don't like!). Being somewhat utilitarian in our approach to purchases doesn't mean we have to entirely neglect aesthetics, expression, etc. But it certainly wouldn't hurt to cut our spending drastically on passing fads and fashions simply to impress people.

2) Reject anything that is producing an addiction in you. The search for simplicity is a quest for freedom. This is most fundamentally an inward freedom (hence my previous 3 posts). But we are addictive creatures because we are worshipers. So this can happen with small things (coffee perhaps?) or bigger things (sex, drugs) or even deeper things (approval, power). True freedom means being a slave to none of these things and only to Christ. Look around our culture, or even at your own life, and you'll see addictions everywhere. I see them in my own every day! As Foster says, "watch for undisciplined compulsions."

3) Develop a habit of giving things away. I'm especially terrible at this one. I am a pack rat through and through. And of course, I'm selfish. I keep things I don't need "just in case" I may want to use it again some day. This is a compulsion worth fighting! On one hand, this is good because it simplifies our life - more stuff means more complexity! But even moreso, it will help us cultivate a sacrificial life - giving up in order to give to others.

4) Refuse to be propagandized by the custodians of modern gadgetry. In other words, be skeptical of advertising and marketing and its many promises (if you read this, Jason, don't hit me!) So much stuff is being made and ad firms being created to try to sell that stuff to people who don't need it, while the creation wastes away and people go hungry. Most of the needs that advertisers press on inside us cannot be met by material things. (See the "Gospel of Consumption" article I linked to last month.) I actually feel like my well-being will increase when I imagine myself at a helm of a brand new iBook, but really....really?

5) Learn to enjoy things without owning them. As Foster puts it, "If we own it, we feel we can control it; and if we can control it, we feel it will give us more pleasure." Oh the glory of the library I never use! The beauty of the public parks that I ignore! The enjoyment of trading a good book or album with a friend....on and on.

6) Develop a deeper appreciation for the creation. Indeed, we have much more in common with the dust and the birds than with the gadgets we tend to worship. God made us from the dust. Could we not connect with him more deeply if we cultivate a deeper love for his handiwork in all its magnificence?

7) Be skeptical of "buy now, pay later" schemes. American is learning this the hard way now with all of the mortage foreclosures. Debt truly is a deep bondage. We should be very, very careful to take on only what is necessary.

8) Obey Jesus' instructions about plain, honest speech. This seems like a bit of a tangent off the main topic of simplicity, but is it really? This is about a holistic simplicity, and simple speech is but one aspect of that. As Foster says, we would do well to "make honesty and integrity the distinguishing characteristics of [our] speech." True simplicity means letting your yes be your yes and your no be your no.

9) Reject anything that breeds the oppression of others. This requires passionate discernment and a tenacious fight against our own tendency toward apathy. Foster asks great questions: "Do we sip our coffee and eat our bananas as the expense of exploiting Latin American peasants? In a world of limited resources, does our lust for wealth mean poverty for others? Should we buy products that are made by forcing people into dull assembly-line jobs? Do we enjoy hierarchical relationships in the company or factory that keep others under us? Do we oppress out children or spouse because we feel certain tasks are beneath us?" No simple answers here - but a willingness to search out these answers and respond rightly is what's important.

10) Shun anything that distracts you from seeking first the kingdom of God. Here I would perhaps change his wording slightly. Because we are worshipers and sinners by nature, we often are distracted from true worship by having a love for good things that is disproportionate to our love for God. Some times we must shun even good things to reorient ourselves rightly and wholly toward God. But often we must simply put those things back in their rightful place. For example, I love music. At times, this love becomes idolatrous and I can make it something that draws me to God, when really Christ is the only mediator of God's presence. At these times, I usually need to repent and put music back in its rightful place in God's creation - good, but not essential. At times, I have had to abstain from music entirely, but this is not usually the case.

There is much more that could be said on this topic. John Piper's thoughts on living a "wartime lifestyle" (see his great book, Don't Waste Your Life) add another important dimension to the table. But here I will stop. I hope this has been a helpful exploration for you. May we all find our needs abundantly met in Christ, who gives us rest from our endless strivings and the frantic pace of our modern world.

Shalom.