Presenting ...
... a weekly letter of encouragement.
Singapore
March 27, 1995
Good Morning!
One of the dilemmas you and I face is how to walk with God and
keep the clutter and stuff around
us from burying us alive. As a society, our fixation on ACQUIRING
has reached psychotic levels.
John Wesley wrote, "...The essence of Christian holiness
is SIMPLICITY and PURITY..."
Soren Kierkegaard captured the spirit of Christian simplicity:
"Purity of heart is to will one thing:"
God.
"Simplicity is freedom, bringing joy and
balance.
"Duplicity is bondage leading to anxiety and fear."+
It's difficult to keep life simple if I have multiple passions.
Count Zinzendorf stated, "I have but one passion,
it is He alone."
The test as to whether I am seeking first the kingdom of God and
His righteousness is the lack of anxiety. (Matthew 6:25)
Following are several of Richard Foster's+ principles that
may help us in evaluating whether we have captured the inner
essence of simplicity:
FIRST, BUY THINGS FOR THEIR USEFULNESS RATHER THAN THEIR
STATUS.
SECOND, REJECT ANYTHING THAT IS PRODUCING AN ADDICTION
IN YOU.
THIRD, DEVELOP A HABIT OF GIVING THINGS AWAY.
FOURTH, REFUSE TO BE PROPAGANDIZED BY THE CUSTODIANS OF
MODERN GADGETRY.
FIFTH, LEARN TO ENJOY THINGS WITHOUT OWNING THEM.
SIXTH, LOOK WITH A HEALTHY SKEPTICISM AT ALL 'BUY NOW,
PAY LATER" SCHEMES.
SEVENTH, SHUN ANYTHING
THAT DISTRACTS YOU FROM SEEKING FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
Have a great week!
Dwight Hill
+"Celebration of Discipline" - Richard Foster
© Copyright 1996 Dwight Hill. Unlimited permission to copy or use is hereby granted subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.
| Back to Antioch's Well |  |
Back to Antioch's Home Page |
