Case Study Four

The simple life is a consistent life. A life marked by a congruence between what you believe, say and do. An alignment between your creed and your conduct.

No confusion.

No dilution.

Upholding the same standards and to live one way, whether in public or in private.

The appeal of the simple life lies in its clarity of purpose. To live a simple life is to have a single-minded focus. This fixes your attention on a primary goal into which all other endeavours feed: devotion to God. A life of whole-hearted service to Him through all that you do.

This changes everything. It touches every facet of our lives. Personally, it shapes how I approach my day. Commencing with prayer and Bible study on a good day, or the latter substituted for a sermon on Spotify as I get ready for work. My work and studies are completed in commitment to God and with gratitude.

But don’t be deceived. Not everything in the garden of my life is rosy. A sober self-assessment would suggest that I am failing to live the simple life. The general hustle and bustle of life accompanied by peculiar challenges have discouraged me. I have frequently deviated from the path of the simple life.

Perhaps you’re like me, struggling to stay the course and live the simple life. What hope is there for us? Our hope is that God is using our present circumstances for our good, according to His purpose. What is His purpose? For us to be made holy and more like Jesus (Romans 8:29). Why is this for our good? Because it bring us back to what we were supposed to be all along – image bearers reflecting the glory of God (Genesis 1:26; 2 Corinthians 3:18).

This is what we can look forward to as we live the simple life.