What Would It Mean to Live Simply?

By Eleanor Daniel

Most of us have heard the old Shaker tune encouraging simplicity. And all of us are familiar with Paul”s affirmation in Philippians 4:11, 12: “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.”

For the last couple of months, Paul”s affirmation and the song have echoed in my mind. It all started because I had decided to move.

When I began preparing to move into a retirement community, I knew I”d need to downsize significantly. So I began the year by going through every closet, cupboard, drawer, and bookshelf to get rid of those things encumbering my life””and to give them away or send them to the trash heap. A couple months later the task was finished.

But my reflection seems only to have begun.

 

Attached?

I have never considered myself overly attached to things. I would have rejected the notion of being a hoarder. I thought that described my mother, whose basement and house were stuffed full of things, none of much value, when she died. I”ve been pleased with myself that I didn”t have a basement crammed with “stuff.” But 70 or so boxes and trash bags later, I must admit I”ve been far more attached to things than I have admitted.

Maybe I could shrug it off by saying that collecting things is an eccentricity of my personality. But as I have looked at all the perfectly functional and usable items I had put away to use later (who knows how much later), I am compelled to consider that I was so busy acquiring things that I failed to see how much what I didn”t use or need could have blessed others. Could that mean I also hoard spiritual blessings for myself, with little regard for sharing them with others?

I didn”t need much of what I gave or threw away. It probably is also true of too much that I kept. Why did I need four cameras””even if one was a bonus for some purchase? Someone could have been using them all these years. Why did I need three dozen mugs? Most were given to me, but one person can”t possibly use that many mugs. Someone else could have. Why did I have a closet so packed with clothes I often couldn”t find what I wanted? Someone who desperately needed clothing could have been wearing those dresses and skirts and blouses and shoes.

I realize that the money I thoughtlessly spent to buy what I didn”t need could have been used far more responsibly””with others in mind. It isn”t that I”ve neglected my tithes and offerings. I”ve been content to give my tithes and offerings””and then suppose that the rest of the money is mine to do with as I please””to satisfy my desires, my whims, my wants, all intended to gratify myself rather than genuine needs. That isn”t exactly godly piety!

 

Enough?

So the song haunts me. What would it be like to live with simplicity? What would that remove as a barrier between me and God? A good bit, I have to believe.

When asked, “How much is enough?” John D. Rockefeller responded, “Just a little bit more.” Too many of us in the West, in particular, are caught up in consumerism. We want what we see. We want what everyone else has””and a little bit more.

Nor are congregations exempt. The churches require more staff to do the work of ministry because the church members don”t have time to minister; they”re too busy making money to buy things, most of which they don”t really need.

The stakes for local congregations keep getting higher: bigger and better equipment, more advanced technology, a bigger promotional event with more and more prominent speakers from throughout the Christian world, glitzier signs and advertising, and a whole lot more. All the while people go hungry and homeless, the world”s peoples perish, and injustice remains unchallenged.

Nothing I”ve mentioned for individuals or congregations is inherently evil. Individually, we need to have homes and transportation. We need not feel guilty having things. We don”t need to live as hermits. Congregations need to do what they do well.

My call isn”t to pride ourselves in having nothing. (Pride is pride””whether it is about all the things we have or because of what we don”t have.) It is instead a challenge to examine the motive behind all the “stuff” we think we need. It is a call to unencumber our lives with superfluous possessions that end up leading us to make personal or corporate decisions based on our wants or desire to keep up appearances. It is a call to see those who live in need. It is a plea to remember Paul”s advice in 1 Timothy 6:6-8: “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.”

What started out as a cleaning spree ended up eliciting spiritual introspection. And I”m uncomfortable. Maybe the solution is just not to move again. But I think I”d rather have the gift of being simple!

 

Eleanor Daniel has taught 43 years in colleges and seminaries, most recently at Emmanuel Christian Seminary in Johnson City, Tennessee. She has now completed her move to a retirement center in Savoy, Illinois.