Breaking Free from the Rat Race
Do you sometimes wonder if all the things you own are actually owning you? I recently came across a quote that stopped me in my tracks: "We buy things we do not want to impress people we do not like." This profound statement from Arthur Gish's book Beyond the Rat Race perfectly captures the materialistic treadmill many of us find ourselves running on without even realizing it.
The Forgotten Spiritual Discipline
When we think of spiritual disciplines, prayer and Bible study typically come to mind. But there's a powerful discipline that's often overlooked in our consumer-driven culture: simplicity.
Simplicity isn't necessarily about lack of possessions. It's not about living like the Amish or Quakers (though they exemplify it well), nor is it merely a trendy Marie Kondo decluttering method. Rather, the Christian discipline of simplicity is an inward reality that results in an outward lifestyle. It sets us free to receive God's provision as a gift that isn't ours to keep and can be freely shared with others.
The Parable of the "Wise" Fool
To understand God's perspective on simplicity, let's look at one of Jesus' parables in Luke 12:
"The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."' But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God." (Luke 12:16-21)
What's striking is the tension between how we might respond to this situation and how God responds. We would look at the rich man and think his actions were smart. We would call him prudent, even wise. Jesus calls him a fool.
Everything Is a Gift from God
Simplicity helps us to receive everything we have as a gift from God. The rich man in Jesus' parable had a false sense of security because of his financial success: "Look at my incredible harvest! I must deserve all this blessing!" His false assessment led him to a foolish plan: "Well, I know I have perfectly good barns, but I'll tear them down to build bigger ones!"
In Old Testament Israel, God established the Year of Jubilee, described in Leviticus 25:
"Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each of you is to return to your family property and to your own clan. The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you reside in my land as foreigners and strangers." (Leviticus 25:10, 23)
Every fifty years, all slaves were set free, all debts were cancelled, and all property went back to its original owners. This helped people understand that everything ultimately belongs to God. It also addressed the issue of hoarding, like the rich man in the parable. Everything belongs to God, therefore everything we have is a gift from God.
God Cares for What We Have
Simplicity helps us to know that it is God's business, not ours, to care for what we have. The rich man had "made it," but he had arrived without considering where his life was going. He builds bigger barns, but what if his harvest in the coming years is much less? What good are bigger barns if they sit empty?
Jesus warns us that our possessions can become a rival to our commitment to God:
"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." (Luke 16:13)
The word translated as "money" is mammon, referring to wealth or assets, not just our bank accounts but all that we own. We can build bigger barns for ourselves and live our lives focused on our material things, only to make it to the grave to discover that we really had nothing and are instead fools in God's eyes.
The issue is not in owning things but being owned by our things. Simplicity reorients our lives so that possessions can be genuinely enjoyed without enslaving us.
Making Our Things Available to Others
Simplicity helps us to make our things available to others. The rich man had no thought of sharing or giving or stewardship of what God had given him. There is no hint of gratitude or generosity. He is chastised for storing up for himself but not being rich towards God.
The way to become rich toward God is by investing in God's Church, in Kingdom work, and in the lives of others. If all that we have is a gift from God, then we should be able to share what we have with others as a gift.
The early church modeled this beautifully: "All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need" (Acts 2:44-45). Later in Acts 4:32, it says, "All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had."
To us that sounds like a radical way of living, but it is an example of a mindset that says, "What's mine is really God's and what's God's is yours."
Kingdom Priorities and Contentment
Simplicity resets our priorities to focus on God's Kingdom. A mindset of simplicity, living with less and trusting in God's provision, helps us to follow God's calling and know that God will take care of us every step of the way.
Jesus taught:
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:19-21, 33)
The main point of simplicity is seeking the kingdom of God first and then everything necessary will come as God sees fit to provide.
Simplicity is also a path to contentment. You don't have to run the rat race; you don't have to keep up with the Joneses. As the Apostle Paul wrote, "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it" (1 Timothy 6:6-7).
If we truly embrace simplicity, holding God's Kingdom as our number one priority, it has the potential to radically change the way we live, the way we think, and the way we view God's world.
Reflection
How much of my life do I receive as a gift from God? What things do I hold onto because I think I worked hard for them and I earned them by my own effort?
Do I trust everything in my life to God's care and protection? What thoughts or behaviors in my life arise out of attempts to control the unknown or eliminate uncertainties?
What am I willing to share and what am I not willing to share? Am I free to make my possessions and resources available to others, or do I cling to them because I think sharing means losing?
Where is my treasure truly located? Are my priorities aligned with seeking God's Kingdom first?
Application
Today, take some time to examine your relationship with your possessions. Choose one item you've been holding tightly and consider how you might share it or give it away. Remember that "godliness with contentment is great gain" (1 Timothy 6:6). Challenge yourself to prioritize experiences over acquisition and people over possessions. Consider one practical step toward simplifying your life this week, whether decluttering a space, sharing resources, or redirecting some of your finances toward Kingdom work.
Prayer
God, forgive me for the times I've been like the rich fool, storing up treasures for myself while not being rich toward you. Help me to see everything I have as a gift from you, not something I've earned by my own effort. Give me the courage to hold my possessions with open hands, ready to share with others as you lead. Reorient my priorities so that I seek your Kingdom first, trusting that you will provide everything I need. Help me find true contentment not in what I own, but in godliness and service to others. May I store up treasures in heaven rather than on earth. In Jesus' name, Amen.
