Why Simplicity Feels So Spiritually Grounding
I can't hear in chaos. Can you?
To me, simplicity means taking away all the extras so I can hear. If I want to hear God speak to me, I need to put away the noise, the chaos, and the expectations — both my own and everyone else's. I think of simplicity as a filter. It removes what doesn't belong, so what matters most can finally come through.
My head moves constantly in response to productivity triggers, notifications, and self-imposed pressure. The message or text I must respond to. The information I should already know. The quiet competition of keeping up, doing more, producing more. When I feel pressure to respond to everyone, to meet every expectation with energy, and to put on an "I'm good" façade — it's as if the layers of life have been laid down on top of me, one by one, until I can barely breathe underneath them.
God often meets me in unexpected places. Uncluttered spaces. In nature. In a quiet home where there is stillness. He is not absent in the chaos — but He is so much easier to hear without it. I have learned that I must be vigilant to give myself time to rest if I truly want to hear what God has to say.
So let me ask you: What is God whispering to you right now? Are you feeling nudged? What do you feel called to do?
Do you really want to hear? Do you really want to know?
Simplicity, to me, is what lives in my heart. It is what has integrity. It is what aligns my senses to my soul. I believe simplicity means to be more like Jesus. He walked everywhere. He owned little. He stayed present with the people in front of Him — fully, emotionally present. He gave of Himself for the good of others, and He ate simple meals. His life was uncluttered. And because of that, He was always ready to hear from His Father.
The apostle Paul says, "Be content in all circumstances." Contentment, to me, is simply the desire to want less — or to be satisfied with what I already have. If you'd like to go deeper, I encourage you to read Proverbs 16:8, Matthew 6, Luke 10:42, and Philippians 4:11 to explore what Scripture says about simplicity and contentment.
And Scripture gives us so many beautiful pictures of simplicity in action:
Moses and the burning bush — a quiet hillside, an ordinary moment.
Elijah heard God not in the wind or the earthquake, but in a gentle whisper.
Jesus withdrew to the hills, alone, to pray.
The shepherds received the birth announcement of Jesus while doing the quiet, unglamorous work of tending sheep in a field at night.
None of these moments happened in the middle of the noise. Every one of them happened in the stillness.
To have simplicity is to be more like Jesus. Be still. Be gentle. Be light in a dark world. Be steady. Have peace.
Simplicity, simply put, means living a life not cluttered by competing loves.
Are you ready to clear the clutter and hear what God has been trying to say?
In my book, Benedictions Given: To an Ordinary Woman, I share what happened in my own life when I stopped performing and started listening — and the extraordinary things God whispered into the quiet spaces of my very ordinary life. If this post stirred something in you, I believe my book will meet you right where you are.
Order your copy today at Amazon and begin your own journey toward the stillness where God speaks.