Simplification

Every year there are lists posted of top new years resolutions. Of course, every year there are such staples and losing weight, working out, promotions, etc. Then each year there are trendy picks that change from year to year. One of the top trendy picks this year is to "simplify my life". This means different things to different people. Buying a 2 million dollar home instead of a 4 million dollar home may define simplifying to some people; getting along on one income may define it for another.

At the World Missions Summit it was discussed that many young adults feel that they have a special call on their lives to do something special for the kingdom of God, but the realities of life such as marriage, student loans, mortgages, and car payments keep them away from the work they feel they have been called to.

How do we change the expectations of young adults when they don't see anyone else living simply? When all of popular culture celebrates excess and conspicuous consumption? When televised ministries promote books that tout prosperity messages such as "How to get rich and have everything you ever wanted?"

There is an incredible amount of wealth tied up in real estate owned by churches, denominations and individuals who profess Christ. I don't know where I am going with this, but I do know that we underutilize the assets that God has entrusted to us by using them for our own comfort or for the comfort of a group of believers instead of using them to reach a lost world who is unconcerned with the value of our properties and portfolios. I know that Carole and I are looking at what is in our hands and finding much that we could do without. The coming years will, in my opinion, see a tremendous shift in the priorities of the Church (the whole Church, not just Lakeside) as we hand off the work to the next generation.