Simplicity: Disciplines of a Godly Woman Series
The simple life.
This is our first discipline we will look at in this series. Simplicity. It sounds good on the lips doesn’t it?
Have you ever thought about what simplicity actually means? This is a word that can have various meanings depending on who you ask. If you ask a lot of people now with all that is going on in the world…. one may say we all are living a more simple life.
But, for the sake of this article I want to talk about simplicity in your everyday life and what that looks like. Now, I already know some of you will say that it is impossible to have simplicity now. The world just doesn’t work this way. I say — It does!
Yes, we live in a world now that is nothing but simple. We are bombarded daily with “stuff” and lots of it. We have way too many distractions and the simple things in life are getting lost in the mountain of stuff.
To be honest with you, we have too many things that pull at our attention daily. We have all kinds of things we “have” to do and demands made upon us. But, let’s think about this a minute. What is really necessary? I think some of us are so busy, so bogged down that we don’t really know what is truly necessary.
Yes, I know that jobs have to be worked and kids have to be fed and more but, really think about in your own life what is really necessary. What is the most important thing? Because, let’s face it all of it CAN’T be absolutely necessary. And that, is a mentality you must embrace in order to have some simplicity in your life. That is the mentality you must face and answer as a godly woman.
Godly women do not really live like other women. WE are guided by the Lord and that should be our first priority. Why is this so important? Because busy interferes with your walk with God, your intimacy with Him, your ability to hear Him and your ability to give Him to the lost world.
Now, if you don’t think you need the simple life then stop reading now.
But, if you feel like your heart is overwhelmed a lot more than not and you are anxious, worried and troubled about a lot of things keep reading. This will be for you.
All this ‘stuff’ is distracting us from God. Yes, God. All the things coming at us and around us competing for our time, causing our lives to be lived out of control and super busy as women.
It doesn’t take much looking to see that women in general, are just too busy. We actually have become a society that is glorying in the busyness and thinking we can do it all, be it all, and have it all. When in fact, we are missing the most important thing– Him, our children, our closest relationships, purpose and inner peace.
I have taught many times in my coaching sessions that ‘you can’t say yes to everything.’ No, is not a bad word. When you keep saying yes, you are saying no to something else that is far more important and needs your attention.
The simple life, let me get back to that. What does that look like in the life of a godly woman?
Well, I think you must first look at what is priority to you.
Is it your relationship with God, inner peace, less stress, family, husband, home, children, career, friends. What? When you can answer that question then you know where to begin.
Then, when you answer that question of priority you will have to FIGHT for your simple life. You will have to make hard decisions of what to take off your plate, so to speak, and walk them out. These hard decisions can be big or small. You will have to learn the art of saying no and sticking to your guns.
Some of you are just plain ole tired and have to have a change. You know, as you reading this blog, that you have to change “something”. That change will have to be in your mentality first and then in your schedule to get on God’s plan.
This is important because God has a plan and in our busyness God is often left out of the plan. Honestly, we call on Him after we have messed up everything. We come to Him when our plan seems to get stalled or stuck. Then we remember there is God and we need His help.
I want to wake you up before then and help you learn the discipline of simplicity. The very things that God needs you to focus on, you cannot focus on if you are too busy. You won’t even hear Him when He calls for you. Intimacy with Christ is something that must be cultivated on a daily basis.
But, we tend to piece God into our lives when we can, after our day is finished and after we have committed ourselves to a hundred other things it seems–then we remember Him.
So what can you do?
- Remember what is the real priority. It is God and your family. It is intimacy with Him and with them. It takes being intentional about being with them and with Him. Being in the moment with Him daily to hear His voice and His instruction. Loving your family because time is short and you need to know how much of it you have left.
- Guard your day and your schedule. Try to not get over scheduled. Look at your schedule and change it if you have to. Learn to let go of what you really don’t need in your day. We are masters at over scheduling ourselves, our children and our families. Stop that. Take time to schedule “do nothing days”. I know some of you cringe right now. Like how can that be possible in this life? It can, because no one but you is in charge of your schedule.
- Literally take time away from the busyness. Get with God. Plan to spend time with God everyday. It’s okay. I promise life will be there when you get back. It is okay to schedule a get-a-way, leave, abandon the busy and be with Him.
- Take time with friends. This one is a big sticking point with me. We are so busy as women we almost do not have time to just be with other women and learn from them, talk, share, pray together, work out our struggles, a break from our kids and more. I think we are losing the benefits of friendship. But that is for another blog. When is the last time you went out with a friend and just enjoyed the company?
No one can do this for you. No one but you can add this discipline to your life as a godly woman. But once you do you will be better for it. You will be a better woman, mother, friend, sister, wife etc.
You will feel more confident and able to hear God more clearly. You will not be a woman on the edge of stress all the time and able to bear with the load of life when it does come. And it will.
Simplicity Challenge: I want to leave you with this take action challenge. For the next 2-weeks, take some things off your plate. Simplify your schedule. Make a list of things you know you need to simplify and how you will do that and see how you feel. See how your family feels or friends feel. See what positive changes happen in your life and make note of them. If you like it, continue.
Take courage my friend. Simplicity is not that hard. Choose today to start living simply simple. Post your simple life action challenge. Let’s chat.
Selah.
Link to Disicipline #2: Beholding Christ
