Finding Joy in Simplicity

If you are feeling overwhelmed in life, you are not alone! Life in our country has so much to offer that if one is not careful it can lead to having too much. Too much of everything which creates feelings of being over extended, overwhelmed, over worked and exhausted. Where things can really go south is if life circumstances change unexpectedly, like an illness, accident, unexpected career change or countless other unexpected hardships that can strike suddenly. I see this happening more and more in our society today. Many people are at the end of their rope, emotionally and physically and nearing a breaking point into hopelessness. This is where the old saying, “There is such a thing as having too much of a good thing” comes into play. I personally believe, and have taken a stance in life, of living in simplicity. By nature, I am a minimalist. A minimalist mindset is a thought process of choosing to live with minimal things in life and yet be satisfied. I turned to Jesus for guidance on this way of living. What I learned is that He does not necessarily speak on the topic of simplistic living but He demonstrates it with His life. He must not have had a lot of personal obligations because He was free to carry out His calling and be available to people. He was said to be a carpenter by trade which was a very modest profession income wise. It makes me think that He didn’t own a lot of material things which needed attention and up keep, therefore, He was free to travel and go wherever God called Him. It was His example which led me to happiness in simplistic living. That being said, this lifestyle may not be feasible for everyone but I do believe that de-cluttering your living environment and working towards releasing emotional attachments to material possessions is healthy. It really is not about owning less just to own less and hoard more money, it’s about owning just the right amount and not living in excess. We are seeing increasing living expenses everyday. The cost of living seems to be going through the roof. This is a good time to do an evaluation of where your money is going and why. I believe we are being call to scale back and remember the simple things in life like enjoyment in taking a walk outside with friends or family or watching the sunset rather than watching a reality show, a sporting event or the news. Joy comes in the most simple forms found through our 5 senses. Quiet spaces,  the smell of flowers or the evening air as the new season of spring starts to blossom. Now is a good time to sell things that you haven’t used in a year and clean out your life, get rid of excess, cut back on entertainment expenses and become re-aquatinted with the things which are free in life. There, you will find joy in simplicity. The bible says that, “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.” (1 Timothy 6:7-8).