Simplicity in the way I live…Sincerity in the way I lead
“For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God and supremely so toward you.” 2 Corinthians 1:12. (ESV)
Some of you reading this are, perhaps, going to be scratching your heads and asking yourself, “Hasn’t he talked about this before?”
The resounding answer is YES!
And I seriously doubt if this is the last time you will be hearing these two (for me) profound ideas.
I am praying over the concepts of Simplicity and Sincerity and, by His grace, trusting to see them becoming true in the way I live and lead.
I am seeing Jesus change me!
It was Samuel Johnson that made the keen observation that, “People need to be reminded more often than they need to be instructed.”
And it is certainly a true axiom that repetition is the mother of all learning.
Peter agrees when he tells us in 2 Peter 1:12, “Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have.” (ESV)
So, even though we think we know certain things, it’s a good idea to be reminded of these things so as to move from knowing to being established in these truths.
With this in mind, here are some fresh thoughts on the idea of living with simplicity and leading with sincerity.
Simplicity in the way I live means:
- Focus
- Concentration
- Going at a challenging, but not insane, pace
- Being disciplined with my time
- Living with margin
- Practicing sabbath as a daily principle, not a weekly block of time
- Being good at a small number of things
- Saying no to a lot of good things so I can say yes to the best things
- Praying and thinking before saying yes to something
Sincerity in the way I lead means:
- Being good for my word
- Owning my sin and mistakes
- Saying often: I’m sorry, it was my fault, forgive me
- Not playing games or wearing masks
- Being the same person in private as I am in public, and in public as I am in private. No schizophrenia for me…no double standard…no split personality
- Being genuine and straightforward…meaning what I say and saying what I mean
- Not embellishing the truth so I look good and feel important
Questions to ponder and comment on:
From personal experience, what would you add to these lists?
How are you personally doing living simply and leading sincerely?
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