Dave Warnock over at 42 has been following an meme up the chain it is entitled Am I spoiled, he then goes on to give some rather salient points of his own.
We live in a consumeristic culture, I am sure very few would argue with that...but are we living an abundant and free life?
Last weekend my family embarked bravely on a closet clearing exercise, we cleared sacks full of clothes, they have all now been recycled or given to Charity shops, we now have two spare sets of draws, these are advertised on Freecycle. We are trying as a family to embark on a simpler lifestyle, driving less and walking/cycling more, eating more organic meat and vegetables, trying to cut down on waste. We have also joined the Year of Living Generously project. We are learning to be more responsible stewards of the world we live in and to encourage as many as we can to do the same, it is a part of our discipleship, no a requirement of our discipleship.
Into our rushed and frazzled lives I would like to introduce another list to do with quality of life:
When did you last
- Eat a relaxed meal with your family?
- Take a walk just for the sake of it?
- Listen to a piece of music all the way through?
- Read a book for pleasure?
- Draw a picture?
- Have more evenings at home than out at meetings?
- Spend time with good friends?
- Spend a day in prayer and meditation, simply to be in Gods presence?
- Laugh?
- Cry?
- Be?
Life is so much more than possessions, but it is also so much more than work, no matter what that work is, Jesus said that he had come that we might experience life in all its fullness, but that the thief came to kill and to destroy.
How often do we take the place of the thief, stealing time from ourselves, our families and from God?
