Charles Lee

Simplicity has been a spiritual discipline throughout much of church history. Many have chosen to practice this discipline of living with less for Christ’s sake. Simplicity allows our souls to discipline our natural urges to be consumed by materialism and “stuff”. It is the intentional weeding out of things that unnecessarily add layers of stress and disillusionment to our lives.

Simplicity is a beautiful discipline of faith. It is also becoming increasingly attractive to those of us who feel a deep sense of over-consumption and cultural gluttony. There appears to be a revitalization of a movement of Christ followers who are choosing to live with less in hopes of staying closer to the things that resonate with Christ’s heart.

This is why I thought it would be important for me to throw into this conversation about the importance of motive. Ironically, even the discipline of simplicity can become a self-righteous and ego-centric practice. Consider the following reasons why some may practice simplicity:

• Some may practice simplicity because of economic restraint. In other words, simplicity was not a choice but the result of a lack of ability to purchase more stuff. These individuals may confuse their scarcity with sacredness. In fact, some may flaunt their ability to live with less by covering it with spiritual jargon.
• Some may practice the discipline of simplicity because they don’t want to be a “stumbling block” to others. This use to be (and may still be in some circles) a common line of reasoning for those many in ministry to stay “modest” in their material accumulation. I have known several church leaders who have struggled with this. It’s just interesting to see how relative it is depending on how much one is able to get. I think it’s vital for those who think this way to resist the urge to let their environment judge simplicity. It must remain a matter of the heart and conscience.
• Others may practice simplicity because of injustice. They may sense deep affliction about the unjust distribution of goods around the world. Therefore, they find themselves living with less in order to identify themselves with those who have no choice but to live with less. I think this is admirable at many levels. I love that fact that many who see injustice as a motive for simplicity usually live more generously. Nevertheless, it still could lack the importance of centering Christ in the discipline. It’s quite possible to practice the spiritual discipline of simplicity in this way and be disconnected with the real focus.

The commonality of these kinds of reasoning is the self (aka the ego). I am continually humbled and frightened by how self-centered our hearts could be…even in our pursuits of godly activity. It is so important to remind ourselves and one another that the focus of any kind of spiritual discipline must the One we seek to draw closer to. As great as our personal benefit may be, it is ultimately a pursuit of God himself. Whether it is the discipline of simplicity, prayer, fasting, or studying of Scripture, the goal is not personal betterment nor the appeasement of spiritual guilt, but rather, the actualization of one’s longing to be close to Christ.

May Christ continue to be the center of any spiritual discipline we partake in. All other benefits should be the by-products of our focus on Him and not the goal.

This post is tagged Discipline of Simplicity, Economic Downturn, Generosity, Motive, Simplicity, Spiritual Disciplines