The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry
Part three: Practices for unhurrying your life
Simplicity (3|5)
Pages 194-204
TOGETHER read the book (END READING AT: And when in doubt, to err on the side of generous, simple living.) then the following scripture slowly and attentively.
INDIVIDUALLY take notes in your journal on what stands out.
Matthew 6:19-34 (NIV) “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
1 Timothy 6:17-19 (NIV) Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
GROUP DISCUSSION:
They say something like 25 percent of Jesus’ teachings are on money and stuff. Basically, none of them are positive. Wherever the “prosperity gospel” came from, it didn’t come from Jesus. In the sermon on the Mount about 25 percent is about money and stuff.
Paul’s command to Ephesus in 1 Timothy 6:17-19 was saying the same thing Jesus was saying at the Sermon on the Mount. Simplicity is actually the way we reach out and grasp the “life that is truely life” the practice of following the example of how Jesus lived.
Share just one or two things that stood out to you while reading the book and/or scripture. (try to keep it brief)
TOGETHER pray for one another.
INDIVIDUALLY answer the questions in your journal - process your notes and pray.
In Jesus’ day, if people said you had a “healthy eye”, it had a double meaning. It meant that (1) you were focused and living with a high degree of intentionality in life, and (2) you were generous to the poor. When you looked at the world, you saw those in need and did your best to help out. An “unhealthy eye”was the exact opposite. When you looked out on the world, you were distracted by all the glitters and lost your focus on what really matters. In turn, you closed your fist to the poor.
How is your eyesight? Healthy or unhealthy?
How is the eyesight of your church community?
Ask yourself the following questions and journal your answers/thoughts:
What if the formula “more stuff equals more happiness” is bad math?
What if more stuff often just equals more stress? More hours working, more debt, more years working in a job I don’t feel called to, more time wasted cleaning and maintaining and fixing and playing with and organizing and reorganizing and updating all that junk I don’t even need.
What if more stuff actually equals less of what matters most? Less time. Less financial freedom. Less generosity, which according to Jesus is where the real joy is. Less peace, less focus, less creativity, less relationships, less margin, less prayer. Less of what I actually ache for?
What if I were to reject my culture’s messaging as a half-truth at best, if not a full-on lie, and live into another message? Another gospel?
EXTRA READING:
“If we go into the desert with our faults still hidden within us, they no longer hurt others, but our love of them remains. Of every sin not eradicated, the root is still growing secretly within. If we compare our own strict discipline with the lax practices of another and feel the slightest temptation to puff ourselves up, it proves that the terrible plague of pride is still infecting us. If we still see these signs within, we know that it is the desire to sin but the opportunity to sin which has vanished.”
- John Cassian (unknown - 435)