Hurry is the great enemy of the spiritual life in our day. You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life. —Dallas Willard
Simplicity is limiting our possessions and what we do, so we can live, and freely give, like Jesus.
Reduce your
Materialism has put us on a quest where we cannot be
And he told them this parable: “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
“…life does not consist in an abundance of possessions” —Luke 12:15
We need to remove anything that does not add Shift your
For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.—John 6:38
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.—1 Timothy 6:6-8
The word here used for contentment is autarkeia… By it they meant a complete self-sufficiency. They meant a frame of mind which was completely independent of all outward things, and which carried the secret of happiness within itself. Contentment never comes from the possession of external things.—William Barclay Commentary
We need to shift the way we view materials and realize they do not bring us Practice
Generosity can be the
If you make $25,000 a year or more, you’re in the top 10 percent of the world’s wealth. And if you make $34,000 a year or more, you’re in the top 1 percent.—Annalyn Censky
Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.—1 Timothy 6:9-10
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.—1 Timothy 6:17-19
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.—Matthew 6:19-21
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.—Philippians 4:11-13
We find contentment when we are living from anperspective.
| 1 Timothy 6:9-10 | 1 Timothy 6:17-19 |
|---|---|
| Desire to be rich | Desire to do good |
| Love of money | Generous and willing to share |
| Wander away from faith | Foundation for the future in Christ |
| Uncertainty of riches | Certainty in 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.—Matthew 6:24
Generosity cures
We limit our possessions by reducing our
Simplicity grants you
Next Week: The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, Part 5: Slowing
- Info about “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry” Series and Groups
- The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer available on Christianbook.com and Amazon.com.