more is not better

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you that you have made us free.  Help us to have the strength and the grace and the courage to live in that freedom and not be drawn back into the yoke of slavery.  Amen.

Scripture: Galatians 5:1

Journal: Where in your life are you choosing bondage over freedom?  How does buying into the “more is better” mentality play into that?  Does it lead you to freedom or bondage?  How will you choose freedom today?

Reflection: If I have learned anything in these last few months of quarantine and pandemic, it’s that more is not better.  It’s just not.  But, unfortunately, we live in a culture that says it is.  We live in a world that is addicted to more.  But my guess is that in the past few months, where more has not been an option, the value of less has kind of snuck up on us, surprised us, and maybe even delighted us.  In fact, in many ways we might have actually discovered that less is more.  Less work means more quality time to be with those who are nearest and dearest to us.  Less activity means more conversation, rest, and reflection.  Less frenzy and chaos and hurry means more peace and joy and contentment.

     But what happens when things finally get back to normal?  Do we jump right back in to our “more is better” mentality?  Or do we take the lessons that less has taught us and weave them into the fabric of our lives?  Do we proceed in a different way and at a different pace and with a different perspective, or do we mindlessly plunge back in to the demands and busyness and hurry?

     “It is for freedom that Christ has set you free,” Paul tells us in Galatians 5:1. “Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”  What if the last few months were about bringing freedom?  What if the last few months were an opportunity to experience a different way, so that each of us might choose to proceed differently?  What if God is trying to get our attention, as a people and as a culture, and say, “More is not better. See!  Less is the better, deeper, and more live-giving way.  Choose less.  Don’t allow the desire for more to rule over you.  Don’t allow it to make you its slave once again.  Because the constant pursuit of more will actually make you less; and doing less, will actually help you to become more.  Everything is topsy-turvy in the kingdom of God.”

     The only question is, will we choose freedom, or will we choose bondage?  Whether we believe it or not, the choice really is up to us.

Prayer

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you that you want freedom for us, but you will not make us choose it.  That choice is up to us.  Help us, Lord Jesus, to choose freedom, every minute of every day.  Amen.