{"id":6080,"date":"2023-02-19T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-19T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.barbdahlgren.com\/?p=6080"},"modified":"2023-02-03T21:18:37","modified_gmt":"2023-02-04T03:18:37","slug":"simplicity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/?p=6080","title":{"rendered":"Simplicity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Abundant Life: Riches money can\u2019t buy\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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The abundant life seeks to simplify not complicate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2 Corinthians 11:3 tells us to guard against being distracted from the \u201csimplicity which is in Christ.\u201d  This is something to think about because we live in a world full of religious complexity. Under the guise of Christianity, we can find ourselves immersed in programs, methods, and procedures designed to occupy our time and attention, but not satisfy our need for Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, Paul told the Corinthians that his words were not \u201cpersuasive words of human wisdom\u201d but rather, he preached the simple message of \u201cJesus Christ and Him crucified.\u201d (1 Corinthians 2:1-5) So the message of Jesus is not as complicated as people try to make it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think this can describe not only religion but almost every aspect of our daily lives. The world has created so many options it puts our brains on overload. Easy decisions have become more complicated. Most societal options were created to make life easier, but that is not always the case. Sometimes too many options can leave us confused and make it difficult to make decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plus, we live in a world of discontent because we are enticed into wanting more, more, more of everything. We think bigger is better and expensive is best. Basic needs such as food, shelter, transportation, and clothing have segued into status symbols. Is it wrong to live in a big house, drive a fancy car, and wear designer jeans? Not necessarily\u2014if we know those things don\u2019t bring happiness and we can function just fine without them.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes less is better than more. Having less can help us focus on the truly important aspects of life without distractions. We can learn to appreciate beauty without a price tag. We can learn to value relationships over material gain. More programs don\u2019t really satisfy the hole in our hearts that only Jesus can fill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simplifying our lives can be a challenge. However, there is wisdom in this Thomas Fuller quote: \u201cBetter a little fire to warm us than a great one to burn us.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

*****<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c<\/em>\u2026I have come that they may have life and that they<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

may have it more abundantly.\u201d ~John 10:10 (KJV)<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Abundant Life: Riches money can\u2019t buy\u2026 The abundant life seeks to simplify not complicate. 2 Corinthians 11:3 tells us to guard against being distracted from the \u201csimplicity which is in Christ.\u201d  This is something to think about because we … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6080"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6080"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6080\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6080"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6080"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6080"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}