In addition to poor time management, poor management of things can rob our lives of simplicity and serenity.
Things have come to occupy too important a place in current American life. Our economy is driven by things wearing out and becoming obsolete and needing to be replaced (planned obsolescence). Shopping has become the great American pastime. And people from other nations no longer are lured here by our democratic ideals but by our standard of living.
All this is countered by a new movement in the country to live more simply. It’s related to global warming and the crisis in natural resources, and it involves leaving a lighter footprint on the land. You can discover more about it by simply Googling the word "simplicity." Check out Linda Tischler’s "The Beauty of Simplicity" and John Maeda’s "Ten Laws of Simplicity."
How can we maintain a simple and serene lifestyle despite the social forces? How can we keep from drowning in things? Here are a few ways that have helped in my life:
1. Have a place for everything and make an effort to put things away when you finish with them.
2. Purge as you go. If you come across a file or bowl or pair of pants you don’t use, throw it away or give it away. Be ruthless. Throw away; don’t give away trash. It isn’t real economy for you or the person who ends up with it. When you get new things is a great time to get rid of old things.
3. In the area of technology, give more attention to what you really need than all the to bells and whistles.
Jesus managed to live simply without modern technology, and we can manage the same with it--by being selective and by trusting God to provide our real needs.
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