Six Principles for Life – Lent Series, Week 3

Principle of the Week: Live Simply

Scripture: Luke 10:38-42

Personal Study

As we discussed last week, for those of us in the United States, our lives are filled with stuff!  But the challenge against stuff goes beyond material possessions.  Life is busy and there seem to be things demanding our attention from every side.  Church activities, school, work, meetings, social networking, not to mention keeping up with all of the sports teams and the latest reality shows.  We’ve learned to multi-task in order to get more done and fit everything in.  Many of these things might be “good” or selfless activities, but when life is so full have we left room for God in our lives?

Read Luke 10:38-42.

Describe Martha’s actions.  Do you think she had good intentions in her service to Jesus?  What had Martha done wrong?

Jesus indicates that what Mary chose was better.  What had Mary chosen?

Are there things in your life that have crept in and are distracting you from focusing on the One thing?

 Discussion

Talk about some ways you have experienced simplicity.  What lessons can be learned through simplicity? What is some of the “noise” that can/should be removed from your life?

 Journal

Evaluate the clutter in your life.  How are you doing in the battle against “stuff”?

What from my life can be removed so I can live more simply? Thinking back to last week’s lesson, how can I live more simply so that others might simply live?  There’s an old Quaker song, “’Tis a gift to be simple, ‘tis a gift to be free.’” Are you experiencing the freedom of simplicity?