Living Simply
1 Peter 3:15 (NLT)
Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.
Oh, how the time flies. A year ago, I was in the mountains of Honduras as part of a school building mission trip. While hundreds of memories flood my mind, the simplicity of life there stuck perhaps more than any other. When I came home, I wanted to adopt that into my lifestyle. No, I wasn’t the flashiest of individuals with a ton of possessions. But I had more than I ever needed. And I found room to trim. Among the many changes I made was dusting the old bicycle off and riding it up to church, work, coffee fellowships, Savannah’s soccer practices, and basically everywhere else I can. Sure, you save money on gas and become a better steward of the earth. But there is so much more. There is the ambiance of nature, of breathing (mostly) fresh air with the sun on your face (or the occasional rain drops). There is time away from the radio and cd player, which allows more time to conversate with GOD. There are the obvious health benefits and reduced stress levels. There is the reminder of how blessed we are to have vehicles to drive in. There is the realization that you don’t even need a vehicle…or much of the wealth we’ve accumulated here. And finally, this change brought about the confidence to make even more. People talk. Word spreads. And people wonder why you’re different. Which sparks another conversation as to your reasons for doing so. Which allows us to share the Gospel. Now maybe you will never look at your old bicycle the same way again.
Begin making simple life changes today. Changes that will cause others to wonder why you’re different. And then, when the opportunity presents itself, “share the hope you have.” (see above Scripture)
