Simply Shining

One of the things that I like best about my journey toward simplicity is that it helps me to be a better Christian. Jesus really had no earthly belongings-his treasure was in heaven, as is mine. This new lifestyle of mine is much more in tune with my faith. I think for too long I focused on the earthly, and not the spiritual. Living in the here-and-now is pretty normal for a human because it reflects where we are physically. Allowing our physical lives to be simpler allows our spiritual lives to deepen.
I have noticed that my entertainment has changed--I listen to cleaner music, I read purer things because my focus is simplified. I think that Christianity is enhanced by a simple life, and I love the Apostle Paul's thoughts on this. Phillipians 4:11-

"...for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of both being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."

Prosperity is not a sin, it is a blessing. I am prosperous, but I don't want to live with the constant selfish wants that often accompany increasingly. Slowly I see these dissipating and vanishing from my thoughts. The absence of unwarranted earthly desires leaves room for my mind to be filled with holier things. Living below your means is almost "un-American" now, and I think that living a fulfilled life with less material things and frugality reflects Christ to others. It's a new light for me to shine, that's for sure.