So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem also my wisdom remained with me. I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees… I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and of the provinces I got singers, both men and women, and delights of the flesh, and many concubines. I made great works I built houses and planted vineyards for myself I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. In God’s eyes, all that consumer culture values is meaningless. This means focusing on serving God and others in Jesus’ name rather than constantly accumulating stuff, status symbols, and worldly accolades. But it also means forging a life for ourselves that is true to our Christian faith and how God created us to live. Taking the road that is less traveled means less security, less company, less comfort. When we choose to live the life Jesus wants for us by focusing on the aspects of life that matter most by intentionally removing everything else, we are turning away from all of the things consumer society tells us is important: wealth, power, lots of stuff, prestige, fame, “success,” etc. It’s no secret that living a more minimalist life as a Christian is counter-cultural. Should we follow the road everyone else is walking, or do we make our own way– the way God invites us to walk? This question is especially important for those who are wanting to incorporate Christian minimalism into their everyday lives. It’s a question that we all have to answer at some point in our lives. I recently rediscovered Robert Frost’s famous poem, “ The Road Not Taken.” The person in the poem stands at a crossroads– does he take the path that most people have already walked, or the one that hardly anyone has walked?
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |