Simplify

“Surely the lowborn are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie. If weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath. Do not trust in extortion or put vain hope in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.” Psalm 62:9–10 (tniv)

I recently read the story about a husband and wife who had a rocky marriage. They took the extreme measure of moving to a foreign country to try to salvage their relationship. They had to simplify to enormous measures— no car, no television, no high-paying jobs. Without all the distractions of their “stuff,” they found their hearts and souls healing. They grew closer to God and closer to each other.

Jesus warns about riches in numerous places in the Gospels, and sometimes it’s easy to gloss over the words, to let the meanings slip in one ear and out the other. After all, most of us aren’t rich. We’re “comfortable” or “content.” Yet we have closets of clothes, spare rooms with boxes, garages full of stuff.

I’m not saying to sell everything you have and give the money to the poor, nor do you have to go live in a foreign country. But if you simplified your life—if you got rid of more stuff than you’re comfortable giving away—would you be able to hear Jesus better without the physical, emotional and spiritual clutter? After all, this world is passing away, and our bodies with it. Can we simplify, getting rid of our things and trusting Jesus for our memories, for the lessons learned, for the needs we have?

FAITH STEP: Take a moment to really pray and see if you’re holding on to things or to riches that are distracting you from Him. Pray for help to get rid of it. Be willing no matter how drastic it might be, because Jesus will be more than enough for all your needs.

Written by Camy Tang

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