By Rebecca Busbee
"Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the Lord your God."
1 Chronicles 22:19a
"Tis the gift to be simple tis the gift to be free, tis the gift to come down where we ought to be, and when we find ourselves in the place just right, ‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight.’"
—A Shaker Song
I love the mountains. Before my husband and I had children, we took several trips each year to the Great Smoky Mountains. Often we went with no agenda, other than to escape from the world, enjoy each other’s company and gaze at the beauty of God’s creation. We unplugged from life’s hectic pace and enjoyed God’s simple pleasures as we reveled in our new found freedom and peace.
Now that we have children, we have passed on our love for the mountains to them. Our oldest son, Andrew, is a nature nut. He loves it all—camping, hiking, fishing, birding and most of all, he loves God’s beauty.
This summer we took our first week-long family vacation to the mountains. The first three days were spent in the rustic serenity of a cabin at Table Rock State Park. There was no television, radio or phone—just a cozy cabin, the sounds of nature and breathtaking views. We hiked, biked and boated. Things were simple and uncomplicated, my mind was clear, and my heart was calm.
The last couple days of our trip were spent in the "glitz and glam" of Pigeon Forge, TN. Upon arrival, I experienced sensory overload! The boys were thrilled with the sights and sounds and their excitement was joyously unrestrained. However, things suddenly became very complicated. We had an enormous stack of sightseeing brochures but lacked a well-thought-out plan and youthful delight soon turned into frustration and chaos. Although I wanted the boys to experience as much as we could fit in and afford, I was instantly overwhelmed and secretly wanted to go back to the peaceful simplicity of our cabin in the woods.
This is the same struggle I experience in my personal life. I long for a simple, unsophisticated existence but the everyday "glitz and glam" of my schedule and activities threatens to rob my joy, shake my peace and divert me from the feet of Jesus. Please don’t misunderstand; I am not a do-nothing recluse. I love watching my son play baseball, serving on the PTO board and at my church, and I deeply love ministering to others through music. But if I neglect the simple treasure of seeking God and reading His Word, then I neglect that for which my soul thirsts.
In Psalm 63:1 we read, "O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water." You and I are thirsty. God tells us He can quench our thirst but instead of going to His well, we often function like the "Peanuts" character, Pigpen. We live in a "cloud of chaos" with our to-dos and commitments swimming around in our heads. Eventually our busyness wears us out and leaves us in a dry and weary place. Jesus is inviting us to escape the confusion so He can be our refuge in the fog. If we intentionally seek to rest at His feet, He promises nourishment for our needy souls. Matthew 11:29-30 says, "Come to me, all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
God wants us to simplify our lives by submitting our plans to Him. In Proverbs 16:3 we read, "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." He knows the length of our lists, but he wants to enable us to live through the transforming power of His Word, and with the peace of his presence. Thankfully, even in our chaos we can start to simplify our lives by re-writing lists, moving God to the top. We must resolve to carve out time to pray and meditate on his Word.
Simplicity was a priority for the Shakers. The "Simple Gifts" lyrics convey it is a GIFT to be simple, and a GIFT to be free, suggesting there is liberating freedom from simplicity. When we seek simplicity and determine to throw off everything that hinders our walk with the Lord, we can enjoy the peace and freedom Christ intended for us.
Do you struggle with busyness? Do you desire a simple, peaceful life? Do you dread the chaos of the upcoming holidays—and the emotional, mental, physical and financial strain it may bring? Do you long for quiet peace and rest for your soul? If you do, I encourage you to seek the One who can provide peace and penetrate the pandemonium.
Use the following S.I.M.P.L.E. steps to guide you on the path of "stillness and simplicity."
S – Seek Jesus daily despite schedules and activities. Seek out time to be with the Lord through prayer and reading the Scriptures.
I – Ignore the television, phone, and email. Occasionally just turn it all off and unplug from the world.
M – Make resting a priority. Resting allows you to tune out the world and experience God’s peace and perspective.
P – Practice praise. Continually recall God’s power, majesty, holiness and sacrifice and offer him praise and thanksgiving. Praising God focuses your eyes on God and off of yourself.
L – Limit your time away from your home and family. Eat together, play together and make it a priority just to be together.
E – Evaluate and eliminate. Decide what is critical and crucial and what may be trivial and unimportant. Spend your time wisely and serve faithfully but never become so committed that you trade feasting on the Word of God for the dry and weary land of the world.
Seeking simplicity in a busy world is not easy. There are many days, I long for the simple solitude of our cabin in the woods. However I know, "The Law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul and the statutes of the Lord are trustworthy." The "glitz and glam" and hectic pace of life is sometimes unavoidable, but if we make sitting at the feet of Jesus our top priority, then we will gain wisdom and peace as we discover the real, true simple life.
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