Simplicity?

Why are we so content with our lives?  Why do Christians just sit where they are and, even though they are promoting good and “fighting” for a change in the world, we are so content with what we have and we don’t want to give up the luxuries that we have and go to help those who need it?  There are some who do, and we celebrate those who do, but it is so hard for us to do it ourselves.  Yet that is what Christ commands us to do.  “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”  We know this, yet we don’t do it.  Churches don’t even preach on simplicity anymore because people would hate to listen to that message and, chances are, the very pastor who would be preaching that sermon does not practice it.  I wonder what would happen if a pastor in an affluent church would preach a sermon on simplicity and how important it is to forego our worldly possessions and work to spread the love of Christ.  What would happen? Would people be mad, would they say the pastor is twisting the words of the Bible?  Or would it start a change?

On another note, what is the definition of simplicity in today’s culture?  Jesus told the rich young man to sell everything he had so that he could be called a son of God, that was what simplicity meant to Jesus.  Yet today our simplicity consists of not having the newest HD TV, or the newest Ipad, or the biggest house, or a nice car.  But Jesus taught to sell everything.  That is a little different from the simple life that we Christians live in today’s society.

I am not saying that I have this down, not at all.  I am currently typing on a Macbook Pro, I have three guitars and three guitar amps, I have tee-shirts up the wazoo, I have a 32” flat screen TV, I have more shoes than I know what to do with.  That is not simplicity.  It isn’t what Jesus preaches.  And because of this I am stretched for money.  But how can I give these things up?  Well, I could give up the shoes and the shirts pretty easy, I definitely don’t need those, but everything else?  I am attached to them, I paid for them, they are mine.  I don’t want to give them up.  But maybe I can give up part of my things, I don’t know.

If we look at the Amish, or the Quakers, there is some simplicity in this culture.  But is God calling us to have so much simplicity that we separate ourselves from the culture and, therefore, forgo most of the witness that may have with those in our society that have a lot of possessions.  I don't believe it. Yet, at the same time, are we so eager to not offend anybody with the Gospel that we tell them that they can have anything and everything they want as long as they believe.  I don't think that is what the Bible teaches.

What I want to do in life is not something that is going to make me rich, it isn't something that will give me an affluent status in life, and that is what I want.  Does that mean simplicity?  Does simplicity mean stretching to make ends meet our entire lives?  Or does it mean something different? What does it mean?

Feel free to help me out with this.

Proverbs 20:5  "The purposes of a man's heart are deep waters, 

but a man of understanding draws them out."

I Google imaged "simplicity" to find a picture to go along with this, and I found the one at the top, but I also found this one.

Is this what simplicity means?

Do less, have less, for yourself?

Or is it to do less, have less, for others?

There is a difference between what this world sees as simplicity and what Christians are supposed to see.

"Live simple so others may simply live" is one way I have heard it put.