The Simple Life Isn’t So Simple, Really

Last updated on: March 26, 2013 at 10:00 am by Jewel Evans

The Simple Life Isn’t So Simple, Really 2013-03-25T20:28:22-06:00 Jewel Evans

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Almost weekly something new pops up with tips and tricks to help simplify life. A quick Internet search of “simplify your life” will yield article after article full of clues—some easy, on the surface (i.e., less clutter in your home) to more challenging, in depth (i.e, quit your anger). I subscribe to a number of magazines, Real Simple being one of them, that features at least one article a month covering this very topic. Whether it be simplifying your office space, your closet, or your daily calendar, the idea of a simple life is an attractive one that gets plenty of press.

I, for one, love the idea of living more simply. In addition to all the instructional articles for the simple life, now there’s an app for that. The top 10 “simple life” apps cover all areas of life—your loyalty cards, grocery list, to-do lists, papers, files, bills, and more. There’s even an app that tallies your grocery list before you get to the check out line. When my computer bit the dust late last year, and I replaced it with a Kindle Fire. I have apps for organizing, writing, and cooking, among others. The apps are great, but the simple life still feels a bit elusive. And so I look for more apps and read more articles and apply more decluttering and organizing techniques.

While attractive on the outside, the pursuit of the simple life is not so simple. Basically, the desire for a simple life often becomes your life.

Recently, I read this post over at The New York Times written by Graham Hill, who wanted a simple life. He has a tiny studio apartment in New York, a no-frills kitchen, and a sleek wardrobe. He was even part of a project (a year or so ago) aiming to showcase a simpler way to do life. Here’s a bit of what he said in the article: “Somehow the stuff ended up running my life, or a lot of it; the things I consumed ended up consuming me. My circumstances are unusual—but my relationship with material things isn’t.” Compared to the life he lived a few years ago, his life now is simple and he loves it. Hill writes that he has more time and more money than before. And as a result, he’s happier. Instead of boasting in surplus, he has the opportunity to boast in what he doesn’t have.

Is that really what it means to have a simple life? Get a little house; purge your kitchen; a no-frills closet. Do these things and get rid of those things. It’s not my material wealth or lack thereof that’s the hindrance to a simple life. The issue is the state of my heart; the complexity or simplicity of my life doesn’t stop at the surface but is a picture of my heart’s treasure. Scripture teaches that our boasting in this life is to be that of Christ and not in our earthly possessions. But both consuming and not consuming, simple living and cluttered living, can become a source of pride. We have to guard against the message of our culture that screams at us that our identity is found in what we own, and likewise in what we do not own. We fault, as Christians, when we love the creation (or lack of it) over the Creator and find that to be our treasure, above Him.

Likewise, when we go from gathering possessions and resources to purging possessions and resources, all that’s taken place is a shift in focus. Trading one for another but not really simplifying anything in our lives. The simple life we all long for can easily become a set of laws that run our lives. I am all too easily swayed to think that if I just had less in my life that I would somehow love God more. Whether I have much or little, if my treasure is not rooted in all that Christ has done for me, then it will be rooted in all that I have achieved for myself.

The simple life our culture longs for is a facade, a shift in those idols at the very center of our being. It’s easy to like our possessions too much, and it’s dangerous when we do. It’s just as dangerous to think that we can escape the bent of our hearts by substituting simplicity for consumerism.

Previous Post

March 26, 2013

'Donglegate' Makes Me Want To Destroy the Internet

Next Post

March 26, 2013 Thomas Nagel: An Atheist loved by Creationists, yet hated by his Kin?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Asides Elsewhere Featured Film Games General Culture Headline Literature Music Of the Moment Podcast Politics RetroPost Sports Technology Television Uncategorized Viral

Select a Month February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz