Kingdom is about giving - A simple life

In “A simple life…” a blog post from Life of an ordinary Aussie woman the author, Melanie Baker challenges her readers to consider if we live a simple life and even more, to consider what actually is “a simple life”. It is my way to “try to find a balance” as Melanie put it. I find that worrying about things just makes me unhappy. A finding that was confirmed in a recent article in The Guardian (here is the link) that sited many scientific studies that confirmed that materialism and wanting things just makes a person want more things, more unhappy, creates loneliness, social isolation even anxiety and depression.

I consider myself to live simply. To justify myself to the readers (and Melanie that caused this blog post) I will tell you that I am a Finnish woman, living in Ecuador. I work for Finnish Free Evangelical Church as project worker.

My job here is to help to design and implement an inclusive and special education system for indigenous kichwa children and youth with special needs. The work is developed in the Ecuadorian amazon region and even though I live in a small town, life here is simple.

John Wimber-"If you don't know how to give, then you don't understand the Kingdom. To be trusted with more is the willingness to give your best. Kingdom is about giving our best as everything we have is from Him anyways.."

My work is a mix of office work, teacher training and visits to schools in the indigenous communities, with one or two surprises thrown in just to make it more exciting.

I have a house that has high roof, so I don’t have an air conditioning, even though I live in the rainforest. I have electricity and running water, even a luxury, gas heating for hot water. I also have internet and cable TV. But to justify myself, I must add, the TV is REALLY old and the cable is for my son.

My personal luxury is a big refrigerator where I can keep my Coca-Cola zero, another luxury, cold.

I usually buy my clothes couple of years apart when I visit my family in Finland, from sales. And I use them until the, very cheap, sewing lady can’t fix them anymore.

My big spending vices are shoes (I have two pairs of original Crocs sandals and three Crocs shoes, excellent shoes both for jungle and mountain use) and books that I buy in my beloved iPad (that I got for Christmas from my parents last year’s Christmas).

“We may speak about a place where there are no tears, no death, no fear, no night; but those are just the benefits of heaven. The beauty of heaven is seeing God.”
― Max Lucado, Experiencing the Heart of Jesus Workbook: Knowing His Heart, Feeling His Love

No manicures or pedicures here. Although they are extremely cheap in Ecuador, I just don’t seem to find time. My occasional splurge on beauty area is getting my facial hear waxed at home and getting rid of the hairy legs syndrome.

So, I would say my life is “free from frills and lavish luxuries” like Melanie says.

There is one basic reason for this, a very sensible one. I don’t have much money.

 

Then there is another one, a more profound one. I have found out that I enjoy life with less. Less frills, less luxuries, less furniture, less clothes, less clutter and things, just less. For me less is more, much more.

“The Spirit-filled life is not a special, deluxe edition of Christianity. It is part and parcel of the total plan of God for His people.” ~ A.W. Tozer

I do want to find balance in my life and I believe it is not found in wanting and buying more.

At the same time, living a simple life, not splurging, not spending, not owning and having less does not automatically mean “indulging in God’s blessings”, as Melanie asks us to do.

For me, they are a way to find balance and concentrate on God. I think they are good ways for everyone, at least according to the studies cited in The Guardian. Even Jesus told us how hard it is for a rich man to find his way to heaven. And after all, how many sayings there are around the world, repeating that money does not bring happiness.

But… happiness is not God. 

“And out of that hopeless attempt has come nearly all that we call human history—money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery—the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.”
― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Let’s not make, not owning, not spending, a new god for us. Let’s not concentrate on balance (as in Oriental religions) but in our Savior. And let Him bring us balance.

I am not happy because I don’t have much. I am happy because I have God.

My hope comes from Him

My life is filled with beauty and I have so many excelent things in my life.I have my son. He is the light of my life, my biggest joy, my true reason to be thankful.I live in a beautiful house. It is not mine but it has tall rooms and ceramic tile floors that are really important in the heat.I have running water and electricity. There is even internet at my house.I have clothes and shoes that I can even combine with each other.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:33 (New International Version)

Two things that really have brought me joy and made me thankful are my camera and the iPad my parents gave me for Christmas last year. I love taking pictures and showing everyone what the life here in Ecuador is and who the people are. I also love reading but it has been so hard to find books here. In Tena there isn't even a one bookstore. In Quito there are few but the books are expensive and usually it takes time before a book appears in Ecuador.Now I can download any book I want. And since most books can be found in electronic form, I truly can download any book I want.There is another reason why this has made me thankful.I don't need big bookcases that fill my small house anymore. No more clutter, no more dust, no more insects running around, eating paper and hiding behind the books.

PSALM 62:5-7 “Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God;” (NIV)

In Matthew 6:33 we are told to seek first God's kingdom and his righteousness and then we are going to be given "all these things". What are "all these things"?

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^[e]?
²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:25-34

New International Version (NIV)

It seems that all these things are what I am thankfull of. Should I feel bad, be anxious? Is it a sin to enjoy "earthly things"?

"Most laws condemn the soul and pronounce sentence. The result of the law of my God is perfect. It condemns but forgives. It restores - more than abundantly - what it takes away.” - Jim Elliot

Jesus tells us not to worry about our food, drink or clothes but about our immortal soul. It is true, we can spend a lifetime running after finer food, drink and clothing, or any other mean to show our status. Maybe a bigger house or an expensive car?

Jesus also tells us that God knows that we need these things. We just shouldn't spend our time worrying about them, or about tomorrow. If we seek God and his kingdom, we shall have all this. And this is the reason to be thankful of everything I have. Because all that I have, I have because of Him.

PSALM 62:8 “Trust in him at all times, O people. Pour out your heart before him. God is a refuge for us. Selah.”

I am thankful because He has given me these things. He has given me the opportunity to work for Him, to do His work. A work that I truly love and enjoy every day. A work that brings me hope and brings hope to other people also.

He has given me an opportunity to live in a country that I love, with people that I love, doing what I love and even having things that I love. Like my iPad and my books and my camera. At the same time I walk on a tight rope, so that I would not love the things but the opportunities they give me and the possibilities to do God's work with them.

PSALM 62:5-7 “Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God;” (NIV)

I think we should be thankful for what we have. Or else we would be proud and vain. But we should first be thankful to the one that has given us all this and made it possible to have good things in life. This is not a new thought, it can be found in the Bible and excessively large group of people have said it before and better. But it still is true.

As it is true that too many people care about the "eartly things" and not about the giver. Sometimes we're just too busy muching away the popsicle when there's a whole lake of chocolate waiting.

“[God] is not proud...He will have us even though we have shown that we prefer everything else to Him.”-- C.S. Lewis in The Problem of Pain

I'm thankful God is not proud and He will have me, as imperfect as I am. Even when I forget to thank Him for the good things that I have. Even when I think that the good things come from me.

And there are still so many good things to be thankful of. Like my parents and my siblings. My sisters family. My aunts and uncles, my grandmother, my cousins... God has blessed me with a family that loves and cares, people that, even thought they are imperfect, have been there for me and made my life more complete.

I am thankful for my education and for my experiences, even thought many have been painful, because they make me who I am.

But most of all, I am thankfull for God's grace, love and forgiveness.

John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”