Living simply isn't a new idea.

It's a back-to-basics, in some ways old-fashioned, often spiritual way of approaching each day. It doesn't have to be austere, but it generally involves the idea that less is more, a sentiment found several places in the bible. Occasionally, we'll take a look at a bible verse or other spiritual text that addresses the idea of living simply.

Today, let's look at Luke 12:15.

"[L]ife does not consist in an abundance of possessions." In the first half of this verse, from the NIV translation, Jesus warns against greed, and what strikes me is that greed carries such a price. Greed can lead to an accumulation of lots of stuff, and that stuff requires money to buy, and more money and time to maintain it: I have to store it, dust it, insure it, make time to admire it, and pack it all up when it's time to move.

I like pretty things and cool gadgets as much as the next person. But I've also noticed something about myself: I feel much more peace in a clean, simple room than I do in a room full of lots of stuff. This verse isn't criticizing the concept of possession. Life requires owning things. The key word here is abundance. An abundance of possessions turns into clutter.

The parable that follows, in verses 16 through 21, describes a "rich fool." But I don't need to be rich to clutter my life with cheap, useless junk. Clearance sales, thrift stores, or big box warehouses can allow us to drag home much more stuff than we really need. Just because the initial price tag is low doesn't mean that thing won't cost me in future time, money, space, and peace.