Recently, I've been rereading Richard Foster's Spiritual Exercises and Growth, a book I read many years ago and have since forgotten. I'm going through it topic by topic, mulling over the meaning.

  I think the author's spirituality makes this old classic still resonate with me, especially the message of living a spiritual life in the real world. One change stands out among the many changes that come with believing in Jesus as Christ. He calls it simplicity. It's about learning to live simply in a secularized, complex world.

  In The Discipline of Simplicity, the author gives ten main principles for the outward manifestation of simplicity.
  First, buy things for their usefulness, not their prestige. 
  Second, reject anything that causes addiction. 
  Cultivate the habit of giving away things. 
  Fourth, don't be fooled by the hype of modern appliances. 
  Fifth, learn to enjoy material things without becoming possessive of them. 
  Sixth, develop a deep appreciation for creation. 
  Seventh, the strategy of buying now and paying later should be viewed with a healthy dose of suspicion. 
          buy now, pay later strategy. 
  Eighth Obey Jesus' precepts about plain and honest speech
  Ninth, reject anything that oppresses others. 
  Tenth, avoid anything that hinders us from seeking first the kingdom of God.

  I believe that if we apply these 10 things to our lives, we will be able to live a much simpler Christian life.

  When I look back on my life, problems, troubles, and difficulties have always come in waves. I think the waves that are coming today are just bigger. Taking a cue from Richard Foster's spirituality, I had a week of simplification exercises to create a spiritual dish.

  Worries, cares, and anxieties, come, come, come. 
  I'll use all the wisdom, cleverness, and intelligence the Lord has given me to simplify you.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)