Week Ten (Simplicity) - Sunday

Simplicity

“Money can’t buy happiness.”  I’m sure that you heard that old adage or one like it before.  Usually though, when you hear someone utter these words, someone else will follow it up with a quip like, “But it sure can rent it for a while.”  Now, lets think, what can money buy?  It can buy things that we truly need like food, shelter, and clothing.  It can buy things that we may not really need, but makes living much easier like transportation and utilities.  Then, it can also buy things of simple pleasure.  None of these things are wrong in and of themselves, but as it is with everything, there needs to be moderation.

I’ll admit, I like to buy nice stuff.  I like to buy things that bring moments of enjoyment.  But sometimes I forget that all these things aren’t the source of true happiness and I need to be reminded what is the source.  The source is the basis of our faith – the love of God, expressed through Jesus.

Of course that seems rather primary and most would probably agree with that assumption.  But, a good majority of them do not know how to put into practice their faith that will allow Jesus to be the source of their happiness.  To them, this notion seems too idealistic and maybe eve too naïve.

That is exactly the reason that simplicity needs to become a holy habit.  Simplicity is the frame of mind that allows us to see the real value of things – if they are genuine or superficial.  Take for an example, a husband and wife going out for a dinner at a really nice restaurant.  Simplicity would have us examine what is superficial and what is beneficial.  It suggests that the outing at the nice restaurant is not what is important.  What is the crux of the dinner is the time spent with one another.  Relationships are always important.

It is almost always a certainty that if it costs money, simplicity would say it is not the essential.  My wife, Karen, and I discovered this for ourselves one summer as we took our daughters on an excursion through two provinces of Canada.  This was the first vacation that was not focused on going to some place like Disney World or the beach where we had to pay to be entertained.  Most of this trip consisted of our own serendipitous discovery.  The day before we returned home, we did take Katie and Emily to Hershey Park, a theme park in Pennsylvania.  We thought that they would need some experience like that to appease them for going on such a “long and boring” trip.  Yet, when we asked them after we returned home of their favorite parts of the trip, Hershey Park wasn’t even mentioned.  What they quickly recalled were our stays at Niagara Falls and Quebec City, places where money that was spent was minimal.  They, like us, were captivated most by God’s creations, both in nature and in culture.

Simplicity leads us to seek out what truly makes us happy.  Without a doubt, quality time spent loved ones always wins out.  In my years working as a paramedic, firefighter, and pastor, I have had many occasions when I have been with people as they passed from this world into the next.  Likewise, I have heard many dying confessions.  I have heard many people say that their biggest regret was not spending more time with their family.  Never have I heard someone say that they wish they had spent more time at their job or spending more time with their stuff.

Earning a decent living is an admirable goal, but not at the expense of losing family.  If we work hard to buy more stuff, all we are doing is becoming slaves to these things that, when you really get truthful about it, aren’t that important.  If you want to be a slave, be a slave of God – believe it or not, you will be happy doing so.


JOURNAL QUESTIONS

1. Reflect on your sermon notes and journal reading from today.


GROUP EXERCISE

10 minutes - Community Building (informal time of gathering)
10 minutes - Sharing of Concerns and Praises
  5 minutes - Prayer for One Another
30 minutes - Discussion of Topic
                     - What journal entry would you like to share?
                     - If you ever had a big "pay raise," how long did the happiness last?
                     - When have you foregone a luxury and were glad you did?
                     - When have been you most cherished family moments?
                     - How can we make our lives more simple?
  5 minutes - Wrap Up/Closing Prayer