Faith is inextricably linked to living a simpler life. The world, in all its secular wisdom, wants you to do more, be more, buy more, and so on. They’re selling discontentment, so that they can sell you the temporary cure.
You’ve probably heard the Latin phrase “Carpe Diem” which, if you’ve watched Dead Poet’s Society, you know means “Seize the day.”
The world wants you to “seize the day” by running as fast as you can, working as hard as you can, and spending as much as you can.
But what if I told you the only way to really “seize” something is to slow down enough to enjoy it and fully experience it?
I’m reading through the book Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom. It describes the author’s experiences of talking with his old mentor who is dying of ALS. They have discussions about life, death, family, love, money, and many other things from the perspective of someone who’s about to leave this world.
It’s an eye-opening read, but the biggest thing I’ve taken away from it so far is how seriously we take things that are fleeting in nature, and how easily we dismiss things of importance (because we’ll get around to it eventually).
What is it about the human heart that makes us lust after temporal, physical things? Is it because we can touch them- interact with them at will? Is it because they give us some sense of achievement?
Simply put, we crave these things because our flesh craves them. Our physical bodies crave physical things. And in the process of acquiring things, our souls become less and less engaged.
Slowing Down Is Hard
Like John Mark Comer says, being busy is counterproductive to growing spiritually. They are not compatible. And in our daily rush of life, we forget this. Specifically, “I” forget this. We have to turn off the constant noise of the physical world, and let our hearts really rest in that.
I’m not talking about “meditation” in the eastern religion sense- but in the Biblical sense. To think about something specific, not emptying your mind. To rest physically, mentally, and feed yourself spiritually by thinking about the goodness of God.
But if you truly want to “seize the day” you have to stop moving long enough to grasp it.