Week 24: The Spiritual Discipline of Simplicity

Weekly Digital Detox Reflections

Saint Francis, Peter Paul Rubens, c.1615

Grace and peace be with you, lovely readers. Welcome to The Endeavor. Thank you all for joining this year-long journey towards digital minimalism. We’re currently following the book “Celebration of Discipline” by Richard J. Foster as we study spiritual disciplines we can and should consider adding to our lives as we subtract the use of digital technology. Over the past few weeks, we’ve explored the inward disciplines of meditation, prayer, fasting, and study. From here, we move on to outward disciplines, the first of which is the Spiritual Discipline of Simplicity.

Where My Thoughts Have Been

“Courageously, we need to articulate new, more human ways to live. We should take exception to the modern psychosis that defines people by how much they can produce or what they earn. We should experiment with bold new alternatives to the present death-giving system. The Spiritual Discipline of Simplicity is not a lost dream, but a recurrent vision throughout history. It can be recaptured today. It must be.”

Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline

The Discipline of simplicity, for the Christian, is an inward reality that manifests itself in our outward way of living. We cannot live out a life of simplicity if our hearts are burdened by our man-made complexities ( Eccles 7:29). Any attempt to live in simplicity when our hearts have not been set free will lead to legalism, thus leading us further from simplicity. Simplicity is freedom, not bondage. Focus and unity of our mind, body, soul, and spirit on Christ is the beginning of simplicity. We must give up control of our needs and wants to Christ and trust He will provide.

Our current culture is against and almost downright hostile towards any notion of simplicity. The over-stimulated, constantly fragmented state of our inward lives reveals itself outwardly in our cluttered spaces. Our lack of simplicity is most evident in our materialist, busy-doing-nothing, lifestyles. We are not unified around Christ, oriented around our families, or tied together by our community, so we seek security and meaning through attachment to what we can buy. I know people who “must” buy the newest iPhone, or “must” do their best to afford a Tesla. What they can’t see is that when they get that new phone, or when they get that car, it will be cool and exciting for a little while, but before they even get proper use out of these things, new models will be available and they will once again feel as if they “must” have the new shiny thing. This is nothing but a materialist hamster wheel and our constant running on it is making us sick. “It’s time we awaken to the fact that conformity to a sick society is to be sick. Until we see how unbalanced our culture has become, we will not be able to deal with the mammon spirit within ourselves nor will we desire Christian Simplicity (Foster 80,81).” We need to pray and ask God to give us the eyes to recognize how we are being materialistic and ask that He show us the path to Simplicity. Thankfully, His Word and Holy Scriptures are full of wisdom in this regard.

Simplicity in Scripture

Despite common misconceptions or attempted misinterpretations, it’s clear that the Bible is in no way supportive of excess wealth or material possessions. The Old Testament shows us that earth and wealth itself both belong to God and are not ours to permanently keep (Lev. 25:23). Israel was supposed to faithfully observe the year of Jubilee and redistribute the wealth, meaning the rich would not always get richer or the poor get poorer. Jesus told us that it is “easier for a camel to enter through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Matt. 19:24). He also told us it is impossible to serve two masters.

“No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭16‬:‭13‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Jesus tells the rich young ruler to get rid of all his possessions (Matt. 19:16-19), He told a farmer to “take heed, and beware covetousness: for a man life consisteth not in the abundance of things he possesses (Luke 12:15), and goes on to call that hoarding farmer a fool ( Luke 12:16-21). But wait, there’s more! Paul says in 1. Timothy 6:9 says that “those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.”

What we need to understand here is that it is not the wealth of material things that lead to our destruction, but the worship and service of such things. The Lord will provide us “a land flowing with milk and honey” (Numbers 14:8) as long as we serve and rely on Him rather than ourselves or the milk and honey. The practice of Simplicity puts possessions into proper perspective. We learn to appreciate them for what they are, enjoy them while they last, thank God for them, and continue to give thanks when we go without.

Slight digression

Should you get yourself a copy of “Celebration of Discipline” you will see in the chapter on Simplicity, that the author takes a hard line against Asceticism. Twelve years ago, the first time I read this book, I had no clue what asceticism was. Yet, as I have stumbled through my ecumenical mess and studied Christian Orthodoxy and Catholicism, I’ve learned a good deal about asceticism and how it was practiced by many great Church fathers. I say all that to say, that I think I’ve learned enough to recognize the author’s argument here as particularly Protestant, and I understandably and politely disagree.

Foster argues that asceticism “renounces possessions” and “finds contentment only when it is abased” (Foster, 84). From what I’ve learned, this is a mischaracterization of what asceticism is. Ascetics do renounce worldly possessions but are reliant upon and thankful for the few possessions granted to them by God. Ascetics, when dependent on God for food and water do not consider themselves abased when He provides those things. It may not look like much to modern, gluttonous materialists like many of us, but they are not lacking in what they truly need. Foster also makes the argument asceticism is unbiblical and I also disagree with that. John The Forerunner (John The Baptist) seemed to live an ascetic lifestyle, as did Elijah and Christ, at least for some time.

Please forgive this slight digression. I thought it was important here to point out that even though I do love this book and find it extremely valuable, I do not necessarily agree with all of it. If you have any comments about asceticism, if you agree or disagree with me, let me know! I’m open to being corrected or having constructive conversations.

And now back to the topic at hand.

Cultivating Inward Simplicity

The way to Christian Simplicity is to, above all else, “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness” for when we do, “ all the things” the Lord knows we need will be given to us (Matt. 6:33). How can we practically “seek first the Kingdom of God”? Forgive me for repeating myself, but the Spiritual Disciplines of meditation, prayer, fasting, and study are all excellent, practical ways to train ourselves to seek His Kingdom. How can we know we are making progress towards inward simplicity? We will begin to notice a delightful disregard for our possessions and freedom from anxiety. This is a sign we are beginning to trust God. When you trust that God will keep you properly clothed, you are free to give your coat to the cold, lonely beggar. When you know God will provide the sustenance you need, you are free to give your money or food to a hungry brother or sister in need. When we understand that all good things we receive come from Christ, we can live in the grace He freely and abundantly gives, turn around, and give what we receive to others. This is the outward expression of Simplicity.

Saint John The Baptist in the Wilderness, Diego Velázquez, c.1622

Living It Out

“To describe simplicity only as an inner reality is to say something false. The inward reality is not a reality until there is an outward expression” (Foster,89). There’s a risk of turning this discipline into legalism, but we must practice, with grace, living simplistically. It’s also true that practicing these outwardly may help develop simplicity inwardly. It can work both ways. Here are some suggestions on how to live simply.

• Purchase things for their utility. Not for any perceived status or notoriety.

• Take an inventory of your clothes, be honest with yourself, and give some away. Most of us have too many clothes we simply never wear and have no intention of wearing. Seriously, give them away. Don’t worry about the hassle of taking them to a consignment only for them to tell you they are no longer cool. Don’t try to make any money off of them. Freely give them to a shelter or a ministry and try to help someone in need.

• Practice giving. Get to work de-cluttering your house or apartment and give away what you don’t need. Do not try to sell it, give it freely. Got books you’ll never read again? Donate them to a local library or school or share them with a friend or neighbor.

• Reject ANYTHING you know you are addicted to. I’m strongly considering getting a light phone because no matter how hard I try, my iPhone has a bit of a hold on me. Are you addicted to social media? Cut it out of your life. Trust me, you’ll live and probably thrive. If you can identify any material thing that causes you anxiety at the thought of losing it, you’re probably addicted to it.

• Get wise to marketing schemes and do not allow yourself to be duped into buying new, unnecessary things. It’s okay for you to use your phone until it barely works before you get a new one. It’s okay to drive a car that is five-plus years old. It’s okay to wear out the soles of your shoes before you buy more.

• Learn to appreciate things without owning them. Borrow books from friends or the library, enjoy them, and return them. Enjoy public parks or trails. Go to the mountains and go camping and enjoy without entertaining the idea of buying a piece of it.

• Appreciate creation. Get up early and enjoy the sunrise. Pause and enjoy a sunset. Smell some wildflowers and watch some birds or squirrels. Take time to be reminded that God created this beautiful planet and called it good (Genesis 1).

• Practice honest, plain speech. “Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more comes from evil” (Matt. 5:37). Stop saying things you don’t mean and do what you say you will do.

• Pray for eyes to see yourself and others with grace. You’ve made mistakes, sometimes out of ignorance, and sometimes out of plain sin. Ask for forgiveness and grace and repent. Also, do this for others. When someone cuts you off in traffic, before you throw up your hands and curse, remember they have fallen just like you. Give them grace, pray for them, and move on with your day.

• Strongly consider undertaking a digital detox of your own. The average American spends 7 hours and 4 minutes looking at a screen every day. That’s 7 hours of your day spent working or distracting yourself from work. That’s 7 hours where nothing about our inward life or outward life is simple. That’s 7 hours I’m willing to bet most of us are not seeking first the Kingdom of God. Should you do this, I guarantee that you will discover many different ways your inward and outward life are far from simple. Thankful you will likely also find the clarity and motivation to take steps towards simplicity. If you need a blueprint for how to begin a digital detox, check out this article by

  Ruth Gaskovski
  provides excellent guidelines to follow.

• Discern the things you may be seeking the Kingdom first, and reject them. Even good things can become ultimate things if we are not careful. Keeping your life simple will allow you the proper perspective. Your job, family, friends, and hobbies are all good things that come from God, but they are not God. Place Him above all else.

I pray that by now you see and agree that the Discipline of Simplicity will be a worthy addition to your life as you subtract digital technology. It will not be easy, immediate, or even enjoyable in the early stages. But this is about your entire life, not your moment-to-moment impulses. This is intended to direct you closer to Christ in both practical and spiritual ways. I know He will guide you to Himself if you can give up the things of this world and earnestly seek Him.

If you have any suggestions on how to practice or cultivate the Spiritual Discipline of Simplicity, please leave a comment. I’d love you hear from you.

Progress Reports

Andrew, myself, Ross, and Micah

A few weeks ago as my birthday (January 1st) approached, my wife asked me what I wanted and I never gave her an answer. I couldn’t think of anything I wanted or anything I wanted to do. I had ideas for some fun but I wanted my best friends to be there. All of my best friends are married and have or are expecting children and they live multiple hours away. Any trip or get-together takes weeks of planning and I didn’t want to ask that much of them during the holidays. I was resigned to being with my family and maybe just enjoying a beer at some point. Thankfully, my friends had other plans.

Saturday morning, Ross, the handsome fella in the cream-colored hoodie, told us he needed to Facetime everyone. He cut to the chase and told me that he and the other guys were coming to see me and they would be at my place Sunday at noon. My first thought was “Crap, is my wife okay with this?” I looked up to see her smiling and realized she was in on it. I was overwhelmed with joy and just about ugly-cried some happy tears. But I got it together and started making plans. With the Discipline of Simplicity in mind, I decided to keep our time together simple. We met for lunch and then hung out with my family. I still got to be Dad, help with the kids, and put them to bed. When they were down for the night, we got a fire going, ate pizza, drank a little beer, and just talked about our families, church, and Christ, and laughed as we reminisced over our time in college. It was a perfect evening. To be surrounded by Christ-like men who will travel hours to see me and be happy with the simplest of hangouts shows me I have indeed made progress in my life and am truly a blessed man.

I want to encourage you all to make time this week for simple, human-centered time with a loved one and thank God for them as you enjoy each other’s company.

Until next week lovely readers, peace be with you.

Benediction

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon us, we sinners.

Thank you for reading! Do your best to disconnect from the artificial, and connect with others.

And as always,

Keep thy head cool and thine eyes true.

Howard Pyle, Man of Iron

Scripture of the Week

“The Lord preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me. Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling; I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭116‬:‭6‬-‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Word of the Week

(noun) Lucidity- clarity of expression; intelligibility.

Example: Great stories teach us with lucidity and passion.

Why lucidity? It’s just a good word.

Music of the Week

I have two songs for you this week. They’re each so fitting and I couldn’t choose between them, so I'm giving you both. Enjoy!

Chasing Money No More - The Hillbilly Thomists

Tiny Beautiful Things - May Erlewine