Simplicity

God satisfies, but the desire for more triggers a death trap. Part of me wants to simply say that sentence and sit down. That’s the sermon for today as I see it from 1 Timothy 6.6-10. Today, we continue our series on a Journey of Rhythm. We continue to highlight healthy habits and routines in our lives. We’ve discussed: solitude and silence, worship, prayer. Today, we talk about the practice of simplicity.

In our time today, I want to work through this sentence in two parts. Part one is encouragement, God satisfies. Part two, the desire for more triggers a death trap. We’ll take them in the order Paul gives them to us.

First, God satisfies (1 Timothy 4.6-8).

These verses follow the warning of teachers who think godliness is a means to financial gain (1 Timothy 4.5). Paul challenges that thinking with godliness with contentment is great gain. I initially labeled this section, “God’s gifts satisfy.” I believe that is true, but I didn’t want us to focus too much on the gifts that we miss the giver. God satisfies. Godliness with contentment is great gain. God is enough. When you realize that God is enough, then you can find peace in your heart or what Paul calls contentment.

Richard Foster says, “simplicity is an inward reality that results in an outward life-style” (Celebration of Discipline, p. 80).

Richard Foster shares in Celebration of Discipline (p. 88), “Freedom from anxiety is characterized by three inner attitudes. If what we have we receive as a gift, and if what we have is to be cared for by God, and if what we have is available to others, then we will possess freedom from anxiety.”

In 1 Timothy 6.7, Paul writes, “For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” In other words, we don’t own anything. Job quoted something quite similar at the end of Job chapter one. In one day, Job lost his oxen, donkeys, sheep, camels, and his children. Job shaved his head in mourning, tore his robe, fell to the ground in worship (Job 1.20). Then, he said, “Naked I cam from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD has given and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised” (Job. 1.21). Job embraced the attitude of simplicity.

Last month at Nationwide Youth Roundup, we sang a song in the worship settings, “All I have.” The lyrics of the song written by Josh Howerton & Ben Ady are:

Why should I worry What tomorrow brings

And place my hope In temporary things

If all that I’m holding Were to slip away

Still I’m held by one Who’s name will never fade

If all I have is Jesus I have all I need

If all I have is Jesus I have everything

Here in your presence There is always peace That surpasses all I know and all I see

You are my treasure Worth more to me

Than what riches of this World could ever bring

In The Three Colors of Your Gifts, one of the spiritual gifts listed is “Voluntary Poverty.” The writers of the book identify this gift with people who deny themselves material well-being so that they can maintain a standard of living that parallels the poor. People with this gift who maintain a higher standard of living but consciously choose not to. Almost everyone who has the gift of voluntary poverty has the gift of giving (92%) (See The Three Colors of Your Gifts, page 101).

Earlier Paul instructs Timothy, “For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer” (1 Timothy 4.4-5).

However, as much as we want to confess and live by the truth “God satisfies,” another voice enters the conversation to dissatisfy with God. That same voice that deceived Adam and Eve whispers into our hearts the desires for more.

Second, the desire for more triggers a death trap (1 Timothy 6.9-10).

Does anyone have a guess to, “How many items the average home has?” Answer, the average home has 300,000 items. We may have that many legos.

This week we did some cleaning at our house. We started noticing that our reusable water bottles would not fit in the cabinet anymore. Beth laid them out on the counter top. (Show pic). I counted 29 water bottles. We have six people in our house. I know there were probably at least 6 more water bottles not in this picture that were in use that day.

Paul Mazur of Lehman Brothers wrote in Harvard Business Journal in 1927, “We must shift America from a needs to a desires culture…People must be trained to desire, to want new things, even before the old have been entirely consumed. We must shape a new mentality. Man’s desires must overshadow his needs” (John Mark Comer, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, p. 182, quoting The Patterning Instinct: A Cultural History of Humanity’s Search for Meaning, p. 380).

As I studied these verses this week, I kept following the words to a deeper and darker place. The progression I observed for those who want to get rich, “fall in into...”: Temptation, a trap, many not smart and harmful desires, plunge people into ruin, and destruction. Five different descriptions of the destruction of this attitude.

1 Timothy 6.9-10 give us several challenges or warnings about the desires of more. When you feel that God isn’t enough or God can’t really protect you, then you fall into these dangerous places.

The pictures are falling into a pit, getting caught in a trap or snare, and being impaled by a sharp object. Paul wants followers of Jesus to understand the dangers of discontentment, the dangers for constantly wanting more.

The NIV translates 1 Timothy 6.10 accurately by calling the love of money or “love of gold” a root. The verse begins, “a root for all the bad things is the love of money.”

It is not the money or the possession, but the love of those things over God’s kingdom that takes root for all the bad things described in these verses.

Richard Foster writes in Celebration of Discipline (p. 87), “The person who does not seek the kingdom first does not seek it at all.”

Thankfully, Paul doesn’t leave us with the final words, “many pains/griefs.” He continues with a way out of the death trap. In 1 Timothy 6.10 he writes, “But you, man of God flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. Who embodies of these traits? Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The stories of fairy tales, and mythology describe a rags to riches story. The hero of the story starts out as a pauper, then becomes a great powerful and wealthy king. There’s only one story that I can think of that describes the hero of the story starting as a powerful king laying aside riches to become poor.

To follow the way of Jesus, we are called to trust Him. We can trust God to satisfy us and lead us away from the destructive traps around us.

James Clear, “3-2-1: Eliminating tasks, optimizing for your interests, and sharing knowledge” (email 7/28/22):

"Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is eliminate the task.

Downsize. The rooms you don't have, don't need to be cleaned.

Donate. The items you don't own, don't need to be organized.

Delete. The projects you don't take on, don't need to be finished.

Is this a problem that needs to be solved? Or is it a problem that can be eliminated all together?"

This series, we recommend the RightNow Media series, “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry” by John Mark Comer. Episode 4 focuses on this theme of Simplicity. To sign up for a free subscription to Right Now Media, you can text “BERLIN CC” to 49775.

So here are some suggestions to help pursue simplicity with our King.

1-Check your heart. Simplicity starts in the heart. Who are you seeking first? God or self?

2—Call out the lies. See through the propaganda of advertising. Will you look like that supermodel if you buy that item? Do you need this item or want it? Turn it into a game.

3—Share when you can. I’ve benefited from several people who have shared with us over the years—swimming pools, trailers, and tools). See Ephesians 4.28.

4—Give things away. Set aside some money in your budget to give away to people in need. Follow your kids lead on these opportunities.

5—Enjoy God’s gifts. Enjoy a home cooked meal, a cup of coffee, a sunrise, a walk in the park, sitting on a swing).

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