The Joy of Simple Living
And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey,
Save a staff only;
No scrip, no bread, no money in their purse:
But be shod with sandals;
And not put on two coats
Mark 6:8-9
(See verses 7-13.)
The Joy of Simple Living
Minimalism is a present-day buzz word.
But much more than that
It is a way of life.
Some people take it to extremes.
Yet the core principle is freeing.
The Joy of Simple Living
In our introductory Scripture
Jesus admonished the disciples.
Live simple.
Trust in Me.
Focus on Kingdom Purpose
“I care for the birds.
And dress the lilies.”
But (I) shall supply all your need according to (My) riches in glory. (Phillipians 4:19)
The Joy of Simple Living
Decluttering is the first stage of minimalism.
Ugh!!! Some readers might say.
However. I invite you to hear me out.
If we declutter our minds
We can FULLY embrace the Mind of Christ.
If I “cast all my cares” upon the Lord
I let go of anxiety
By decluttering my emotions
I embrace the spirit of Love😊
And the Rest of Abiding in Jesus!
The declutter of my heart
Causes me to
Love the Lord my God
To The FULLNESS!
And love my neighbor as myself😉
My body is a living sacrifice
Holy and Acceptable unto God. (Romans 12:1)
When I declutter my body
Of junk food, fast food restaurants, and overeating
I am a good steward.
Exercise, like walking, is good😉
But running a frazzle is damaging.
When I care for this temple of the Lord
Health and strength is often renewed
That I may serve the Lord to a greater extent.
Decluttering material goods
Might be the hardest part for some.
Closets bulge, entertainment gadgets
Sports gear, multiply tools and crafts.
More to take care of then we have time for.
The Joy of Simple Living
As I am writing
I recognize that we addressed
A similar subject
Quite some time ago.
I don’t know about you
But this is a piece of my “walk with God”
That I must address often.
The Joy of Simple Living
Decluttering my calendar
Allows for more time that matters.
Relationships!!!
First with Jesus!
And then with people!
Some days are busy.
A week of sneaky time wasters.
Some months are full of obligations.
The KEY to it all is in asking the Lord
For Divine Alignment
Divine Rhythm
Divine Purpose
He is Large and He is in Charge.
But He is ONLY in Charge
Of our calendar and energy
As we allow Him to be.
The Joy of Simple Things
Have you ever noticed how we horde things?
Hurts that make us feel justified.
Toxic behavior that feeds the flesh.
Sin that we have allowed ourselves to become calloused by.
The boxes of stuff
That have NO purpose
But to take up space.
We humans are very attached.
Clothes, shoes, jackets
Things we don’t wear.
BUT that is mine! We say.
When was the last time we had two coats
And gave one to someone who had none?
The Joy of Simple Living
Over and over
I hear the Lord say
‘The more you declutter inside and out…’
‘The less you horde hurts and wounds…’
The more I can entrust you!
Trust you with Kingdom Purpose!
Trust you with souls to invest in!
The Joy of Simple Living
When I can be trusted to invest
Time in prayer
Energy into fasting
Study in His Word
The more He can trust me
With Anointing, ministries, and more importantly…
Souls!!!
I challenge you to look at the stats on your phone
Right now😉
Did you spend more ‘scrolling’ time
Than Jesus Time today?!
Is there a half dozen craft projects going?
Yet you can’t remember the last time
You really read and studied the Word.
No one is judging you, honey😊
We all got “something”
And everyone justifies their behavior.
Funny😉 thing!
Last week I weeded out stuff.
Internally… yes ma’am.
Externally too!
For a couple of days
I had the quirky weird feeling.
Okay God. What’s that?
Child. You were attached to things.
Hording feelings.
Wow!
Lord! Fill all the emptiness.
Let it be Rivers of Living Water.
Flowing! Flowing!
Help me to be empty of myself
That I may be FULL of Jesus!
And THAT is…
The Joy of Simple Living
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