Less is more

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Take care of yourself”

Our Bible verse for today: “God has made us plain and simple, but we have made ourselves very complicated.” Ecclesiastes 7:29 (Good News Bible, British Version)

Our thought for today: “Less is more”

I love the Brits. Sometimes they can be so matter-of-fact, straight-forward, and blunt. Take their translation of Ecclesiastes 7:29 in the Good News Bible for instance, “God has made us plain and simple, but we have made ourselves very complicated.” I love it! And it is so true! We make our own lives so complicated! And we do so to our own detriment.

This morning, I want to continue our thinking from yesterday by returning to the book of Ecclesiastes. King Solomon had it all in life. He was the king. He was fabulously wealthy. He had absolute authority and control over every person in the kingdom and over every resource. Nothing was denied to him. And so, he tried it all. He worked hard and built a life of amazing achievements, and he also partied like a rock star, denying himself no pleasure.

But there is a world-weary tone that runs throughout all twelve chapters of Ecclesiastes. The book was written towards the end of Solomon’s long life and as he looked back, he realized it had all been so much folly. He ended up regretting much of what he had done and he considered much of his life to have been wasted. And in the end what did he conclude? “Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands for this is everyone’s duty.”

As Pastor Chuck Swindoll once wrote, “We find in Ecclesiastes a worldview tempered by experience and ultimately seen through divinely colored lenses.”

Yes, that’s it right there. Solomon’s purpose in writing the book of Ecclesiastes was to point us to a better, simpler life focused on God and others. From his own experience he learned that not only do we not need a busy, complicated life filled with excessive possessions, endless activities, demands, pressures, and a constant striving for more, more, more, but such a life ultimately ends up empty and sad.

It has often been said that “less is more.” That means that sometimes simpler is better. The more extraneous stuff we strip out of life, the better our quality of life becomes.

God has made us plain and simple, but we have made ourselves very complicated. It’s true, but we can fix that. For better physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health, I encourage you to consider taking some steps today to simplify your life. You will be happier if you do. Less is often more.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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