The Virtue of Simplicity and the Kingdom of God

The problem with money, it is said, is that you never have enough. Of course, money by itself is worthless; it is what you buy with money that counts, and it seems we never have enough to get what we want. Our culture is driven by the desire to accumulate more and more wealth. The individualistic nature of our culture means that the accumulation of wealth is all about me and those closest to me is the highest good. This line of thinking has even infiltrated our churches in the form of the so-called "health and wealth" gospel which reduces the work of God to a force that helps you to acquire bigger houses, more cars, and more money. When was the last time we ever heard a sermon preached about the sin of greed? Who is even interested in hearing about that topic?

I believe that we can see the effects of our greed all around us. Surely the great financial crisis would not have occurred if the population of this country had been satisfied to live within their means. We see it in the great urban areas where people drive their SUVs down the freeway dumping gigatons of pollution into the atmosphere. We see this in the fact that we are often tempted to prioritize cheapness and consumption over care for the earth God has given us. Money and efficiency often takes priority over people and relationships. I wonder if the high divorce rate has anything to do with the drive to consume?

I am intrigued by the idea of a type of monastic living. In the early days of Christianity, monks moved out into the desert to live lives of celibacy, obedience, and poverty while they prayed for the state of the world. They were admired and respected by their Christian brothers and sisters. Today, those values are typically frowned upon. I don't believe that all Christians are called to move out into the desert and live like the ancient monks did, but I do believe we can recover those values in our current stations of life.

I believe that Christians can be an example to a consumer driven culture by exhibiting the virtues of simplicity. When we live within our means and say no to certain things we do not need, we cultivate an attitude of contentment. I've been trying to work on this myself, though it is, admittedly, difficult. Jesus told his disciples in the Sermon on the Mount not to lay up for themselves temporary treasures on earth (Matthew 6:19-21), neither to worry about what they will eat, drink or wear, but to seek first the kingdom of God (Matt. 6:25-34). Jesus says that when our priority is doing the work that he has for us, we will be taken care of. There seems to be something liberating about living a life of simply seeking the Lord, because, while there is never enough stuff to satisfy us, there is plenty of Jesus. I believe that we need to work on living out these ideals more fully.