By Amelia Moses.
I love opulence - I’m enamoured by it, the beauty, the grandeur, the sheer magnitude of creativity it takes to create something outstanding and worth someone’s attention. Palaces, monuments, art, design, fashion - opulence is intrinsic to many of these. I stop and gawk at whatever catches my fancy.
What about people? I adore them too - opulent people, not in their wealth, but in the way they are generous in their relationships with other people, the way they are generous in their vulnerability and trust, the way they gather people to them and shelter them through personal storms, the way they are wealthy in so many ways that matter.
The wealth of goodness, humility and simplicity.
We know much of how Jesus lived and how the life He lived is one we must choose to build in our own. The simplicity of the gospel has been woven through us in multiple ways. We are to embrace it, live it, celebrate it.
But oftentimes, we misplace the core of it all. The simplicity of a life well-lived, of a heart sure and strong enough to bear the burdens of another, of arms that should open in welcome to those looking for a waystation, a safe haven, a place to rest, of showing people the love of Jesus through quiet words and loud actions.
Every time I forget this core value of my God-given life, I find that I feel imbalanced, out of sorts and striving so hard to find my footing. It is only when I surrender fully to the calm of Jesus’ heart that I am able to find and grasp the woven strands of the simplicity of the gospel.
It is very much a part of all of us - this collective tapestry of us all held together by His grace so generously given to us.
We only need to find it in ourselves and nurture it. Embrace it fully and the life He so lovingly has given us, by giving away His very own.