Living the Good Life - September 3
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 31; PM Psalm 35; 1 Kings 11:26-43; James 4:13-5:6; Mark 15:22-32
Today’s Reflection
Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there, doing business and making money.’ Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wishes, we will live and do this or that.’ –James 4:13-15
So much of our contemporary U.S. culture (and Western culture in general) is focused on living the good life. But what does it mean to live the good life? The other day, I read a whole article in The New York Times in which the reporter interviewed various designers about the current trend of hiding appliances like refrigerators behind cabinetry in high-end kitchens. Open what looks like a cabinet or even a drawer and you may find a refrigerator or freezer—but we don’t want anyone to see it. After reading the article, I am still not clear on why exactly people want to hide these things that we do expect to find in a kitchen.
I have to admit, though, that I do really enjoy watching HGTV shows like Love It or List It, Property Brothers, or House Hunters International. But my favorite one the past few years is My Lottery Dream Home. I have seen every episode—and some more than once! Half of why I love this show is the warmth and humor—not to mention the eclectic fashion choices—of the host, interior designer David Bromstad. But besides that, it’s fun escapism to live vicariously through average people who have unexpectedly come into money and see them find the home of their dreams. For some, their dream is not a lavish one—they just want to move from their cramped apartment or small house into a modest three bedroom, two bath home with a nice yard and maybe a spacious basement or a beautiful pool that they can enjoy with family and friends. For others, especially those who come into a multimillion-dollar windfall, David shows them homes with massive square footage and every possible extra feature, not to mention amazing views and high-end finishes in every corner.
I also love to watch pretty much everything on Chip and Joanna Gaines’ new Magnolia Network. Besides their own Fixer Upper episodes and Magnolia Kitchen cooking show, it’s been fun to watch other remodeling shows like Home Work, which follows a blended family with seven kids who buy a massive old schoolhouse to turn into their new home. Each episode shows the parents, who also have a home renovation business, leading their crew of contractors to renovate each former classroom into an amazing kitchen or guest room or pink-everything room for their daughter.
But sometimes, I find that I am not so much in the mood to watch these TV shows. Sometimes, I find that they bring me down. I will never have the means to make all these amazing home improvements—unless I, too, win the lottery. Right now, I lease my house, so I cannot even change the color of the paint on the walls of a room. But then, when I begin to think about it another way, it’s very freeing to not have to worry about whether I should make this or that improvement to my home. It’s freeing if something breaks, someone else pays to fix it. It’s freeing to be able to walk through Lowe’s or Home Depot and know that I do not need to buy these appliances or paints or what have you—even though it’s a little fun to dream of owning a home again soon so that if I need a new dishwasher, I can pick the one I want (within reason).
I can choose to focus on being happy with what I have, which is a perfectly lovely home with everything that we need, and even some things that we don’t need but that make life a little better in simple ways: A fireplace to sit by and enjoy its warmth and glow in the winter. A big, beautiful backyard where I can go to rest and reflect under the shade trees and listen to the water flowing through the rocks of the creek. Lots of picture windows to let in the sunshine or to watch the rainfall. Even the carport, while not aesthetically pleasing, is a luxury that allows us to stay dry when we get home and it’s pouring down rain.
This struggle against materialism and a life focused on the acquisition of money and stuff is not a new one. We hear James the Just grappling with this issue in the passage of his letter that we read today. As James so vividly describes, “Your riches have rotted, and your clothes are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you, and it will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure for the last days (James 5: 2-3). What does James suggest we focus on if not on making money and acquiring stuff? The better question to ask ourselves, if we follow the thinking of James and other writers throughout the Bible, is not “How do I live the good life?” but rather “How do I live a good life?”
In the Gospels, we find Jesus telling his disciples to travel light, to bring just the clothes on their back and to trust that people along the way will provide for all their needs. Elsewhere, in a sermon, Jesus reminds those gathered that if God provides food for the birds, who neither sow nor reap how much more will he feed us—and to look at the lilies of field, how they are so beautifully clothed—how much more richly will God clothe us? Do not worry about what you will eat or drink or wear, Jesus says, because the Father knows you need these things, and he will provide.
As James observes, “What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wishes, we will live and do this or that’” (James 4: 14-15). Living a good life does not have to be complicated—and it does not require that we have great wealth. A good life, in God’s eyes, is one based on simplicity. As the prophet Micah says, “What does the Lord require of you? To seek justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”
—Becky+
Questions for Self-Reflection
What do you hear the world telling you, through advertising and other media, that you need to live the good life? When have you gotten caught up in believing the very persuasive messages of our consumer culture? How has this sometimes gotten in the way of living a good life (the way of life in which Jesus calls us to live)?
Daily Challenge
If you’re interested in reflecting further on minimalism and how it relates to our beliefs as Christians, take a look at this blog on Christian Minimalism. Consider reading the book Christian Minimalism by Becca Ehrlich and participating in our discussions about it on September 7 and September 28 at 6 p.m. via Zoom. You sign up for the group or learn more about it by clicking here.