by Mark Conn
There’s a lot to be said for the simplified life. Sometimes the simplified life is the result of a choice, and sometimes the choice is thrust upon you. In our case, for my wife and me, it was a little bit of both. Let me back up a little bit to give you some background.
I have been in the pastorate — either as associate pastor or as senior pastor — with Mychere, my wife, for almost 30 years. Being in ministry that long you learn many things to do (and a great many things to never, ever try again), and you become familiar with the ebb and flow of church life. But the circumstances we encountered a few years ago were very different. The church we were leading had experienced some turmoil in the past, but it looked like we were on a healthy and vibrant spiritual trajectory.
People were being saved nearly every Sunday.
Many were being baptized.
Unwed couples who had been living together surrendered to God’s authority over their lives and relationships and were being married.
Long-deferred maintenance to the facility was being slowly completed.
All in all it seemed as though we were on the road to a very healthy church. And then I began to feel a real disquiet in my heart, a sense that something was very wrong in the church. I gathered the staff together and asked for them to begin to pray with me. I encouraged the lay leaders to begin a time of intense prayer for the church, asking God to show us what was wrong, and to send revival.
We continued in fasting and prayer for almost a month, and then one Sunday it happened. Revival came! And then real trouble began. Having trouble in the church is hard enough, but that was combined with a firm realization that God was trying to tell me something and, try as I might, I couldn’t discern what it was!
I woke in the middle of the night one night following a particularly rancorous deacons’ meeting. I decided to get up and go spend some time with the Lord in the living room and try to figure out what was going on in the life of the church and what it was the Holy Spirit was trying to show me. I told God I would trust Him wholly, and, as I did, it was as if the arms of the Father simply drew me close as I was assured He wasn’t through, that I was just to follow Him as He did a new work in my life.
I have to admit it was uncomfortable and immensely calming at the same time! The church problems didn’t go away. In fact, the next day they intensified, but there was that voice within me reminding me to trust Him, that He was doing something new in me.
Over the course of the next few days I began to have a very uncomfortable sense of what that something “new” was. I was being reassigned. And not just to a new church, but to a whole new calling.
As I look back now, the Holy Spirit’s preparation for this new ministry was obvious, but the “doing” of it has shaken me to the core. I determined I was being called to do the ministry of an evangelist, with a specific focus on biblical prophecy.
My initial reaction was one of rebellion. So many questions swirled through my mind:
“How was I going to start?”
“How do I find places to minister?”
“Nobody wants to hear about prophecy today!”
“Nobody is having evangelists in today!”
Probably the most shameful thought was worrying about what others would think. I didn’t want to be thought of as one of “those” guys who can’t make it in the pastorate, so they leave and start doing something else.
I’m embarrassed that I allowed those thoughts to stay in my mind as I tried to talk God out of it. I even sent my resume to several other churches, thinking maybe I could compromise with God. I thought, “Maybe if I pastor a smaller church I could speak more about prophecy and maybe even take a couple of meetings a year.” (Have you ever tried negotiating with God? I don’t recommend it.)
But when I finally died to myself once more, my wife and I re-surrendered to do whatever was asked and we recommitted our lives just as we had so many years ago, and launched into the deep.
Burn the ships.
Into the deep end of the pool with no floaties.
The whole enchilada.
When we made this decision, we then knew why the house we owned in Missouri had not sold though it had been on the market four years. We returned home only to experience a surprise. Arriving at the house with a loaded truck, we were met with what seemed at the time to be an overwhelming disaster. The house had been nearly destroyed by the last occupant renters.
Things looked pretty bleak, and then Mychere reminded me, in a way that only a loving wife can, that God was aware of these things when He called us, and that nothing had changed other than our response.
And that brings us to our simplified life, made partially by choice and partially as the result of our circumstances. We were, in effect, starting over. In this new season of our ministry, I’ve discovered that there are many things to recommend the simplified life.
For one, there’s a lot less stress!
In our simplified life, we don’t have to worry about as many first-world issues as before. Things like, “Which version of over-priced coffee or tea am I going to buy today?” or probably the most stereotypical couple question, “Where do you want to go eat?” Those options were off the table. In our new simplified lifestyle, issues like that are nonexistent. They aren’t choices to struggle over. We drink coffee or tea at home, and the habit and convenience of eating out is a choice that doesn’t exist, at least to the extent that it used to. And that makes things much more simple.
We don’t worry about affording new car payments. Both our vehicles are getting old with a lot of miles, but when something breaks there seems to be money there to fix it.
There’s no anxiety over upgrading our computer. When the computer began dying a few months ago, I started asking around trying to find a used one somewhere. I wasn’t successful, so Mychere and I went into the room where I’ve set up my office and prayed, asking God to help our old computer. It seems a little weird seeing it written out like that, but then living this simplified life has helped us discover another real spiritual benefit — total, genuine reliance upon the provision of God. If the computer breaks, He’ll make another way for me to communicate and to work on my books.
By the way, the old computer stopped misbehaving. The screen gets a weird color sometimes, but it’s working!
We don’t have to try to figure out how to afford a new Smartphone when the latest one is released. There’s no ability to upgrade, so it just doesn’t matter.
Another benefit we’ve discovered in the simplified life is an increase in our quality of life. The two ideas seem counterintuitive, but they are actually complementary! Let me explain.
When our lives became simplified, we had to radically prioritize the food items we buy at the grocery store. Instead of buying things that are quick and easy but filled with things that you can’t pronounce (and are not really that healthy for you) we instead discovered that our choices, while more limited, are less expensive. And often healthier!
We dramatically expanded our garden and began to eat fresher. It took some getting used to because the flavors aren’t chemically enhanced, and preparing meals requires a bit more thinking than before, but the things we’ve cooked have been some of the best meals I’ve ever had! Just because we’re living more simply doesn’t mean we want it to be boring and tasteless!
So. The simplified life.
For me, it’s a necessity borne out of the decision to follow where God leads and swallow what God feeds.
I’m not where I thought I would be by this point in my ministry, and I have fewer years ahead than I have behind. Many things I took for granted are now not possible. This simplified life means that, in all likelihood, a typical retirement is not in my future, and date nights will be enjoyed at home instead of going out.
We eat more peanut butter and beans, many things we once did and took for granted are now simply not possible. But God has slowed down my ministry for this season and allowed my spirit to heal, and He has given me a great gift — time spent in study and allowing the Holy Spirit to speak into my life.
When I’m not on the road, I have the opportunity to go to church and worship without having to worry about nursery workers or kids throwing up on the choir robes or microphones not working or toilets overflowing — I can worship and allow the Holy Spirit to speak, and just be an encouragement to my pastor.
I can’t say I would recommend that all adopt the simplified life, at least not in the drastic way we have experienced it, but looking back, I think there is much to be grateful for in this more simple life.
15 things that help you live more simply
- Do what you love — chances are it’s what you were created to do!
- Be content with what you have instead of being discontent about what you don’t have.
- Choose to rejoice in and be thankful for God’s provision.
- Spend time with God, by yourself, before checking your email.
- Reduce eating out — prepare meals at home and take your lunch to work
- Don’t “shop” — go to the store with purpose and buy only what you need (make a month’s menu with a list).
- Drink water and/or green tea in place of soda.
- Grow herbs, spices, and aromatics and experiment with new flavors to use common inexpensive ingredients.
- Look for used items first before buying new, and find ways to reuse everyday items.
- Stop paying interest — use cash.
- Be creative and frugal in gift-giving.
- Sell clutter or things you don’t use any more.
- Don’t worry so much about upgrading your technology to the latest thing on the market.
- Use the library, cancel subscriptions to magazines, and read more in the place of other entertainment options.
- Drive more slowly. It gives less stress and uses less gas.