Author: Natalie

Simplify Your Life to Exemplify Christ is my new motto.

The importance of this has really come to the forefront of my life lately. How we need to have our lives ordered: temples of God, where there is space for him to enter, without us needing to sweep an armful of junk aside.

I’ve been reading about ordering my life from The Gentle Ways of the Beautiful Woman (wow, there’s a title for you!) by Anne Ortlund. Goodness, I have lots to learn from that title alone, not to mention the whole {rather thick} book.

After sifting through my life and reading lately, I’ve come up with a few guidelines:

1.) Simplify your thoughts.
2.) Simplify your commitments.
3.) Simplify your surroundings.
4.) Simply your devotion to Christ-like living.

One: Your mind is a temple of the Holy God. “Take captive EVERY thought, and make it obedient…” 2 Corin. 2:5b The Bible also reiterates over and over again how our minds are one of our most powerful (and therefore vulnerable) assets as human beings. There are many others who discuss this topic better than I do!

Two: Simplify what you devote your time to, where you invest your life. Think depth, not breadth. Another book, Only Angels Can Wing It, suggests these qualifications to any commitment: 1.) Will it matter in a week, month, or year? 2.) Does it fulfill a need of mine or of someone I love? 3.) Is there someone better suited to this who may be excited about the opportunity?

Three: Simplify your surroundings….I can breathe when I have a clean home, a made bed, and clean dishes. When we aren’t consumed with the “dailyness” of life getting away from us, we can be at rest in our minds and focus. We can have time to be still, space to listen.

Four: This one I made up entirely, I think. Be like a child with your faith. Come to the throne in awe, with a heart full of wonder. Realize that this is a relationship, not a rat-race with the others at church to see who is the “most Christian.” Live your life focused on GOD alone. Spend time getting to know where he wants you to put your thoughts and commitments.

~Discipline, you see? *my word for the year* The fruits of the spirit, right? Clearing out our lives so we are less likely to get lost in our negative thoughts, our commitments, or our messes. I’m working on it!