TOWARDS A SMALLER LIFE

By Paul Arnott.

My maternal grandmother Alice had a great many sayings. The one I remember best, perhaps because I heard her say it so often, was “The older I become the more I realise the little I know.” How often in recent years have I blessed her for that godly insight. The psalmist expresses a similar thought in Psalm 131:1-2 when he writes: “LORD, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I don’t concern myself with matters too great or awesome for me. But I have stilled and quieted myself, just as a small child is quiet with its mother. Yes, like a small child is my soul within me.” (NLT). I read some years ago about the words of the man who was the head of the Jesuit Order in the Roman Catholic Church. He had suffered a massive stroke which left him totally paralysed. He was unable to move or to speak. However, he somehow managed to communicate these thoughts which were put on paper. The gist of what he said was: “All my life I have wanted to be completely dependent on God and now I find in this moment that I am utterly reliant on him. He is my only hope. He is my only prayer.” I haven’t done justice to his words, but I think you get the message. When I was 20 I knew so much about life and I thought about God. There is a magnificent scene in one of my all time favourite movies Nell, in which Nell, played by Jodie Foster, is addressing a hearing which will determine her future. She says: “I have lived a small life; I know only a few things.” It’s a telling moment because everyone in the courtroom and all those viewing the movie know that while Nell has lived a very sheltered existence she has a wisdom and joy in living that most of us lack, because of our anxiety and over-busyness. We need to learn to live “smaller” lives, lives that are more focused and in which we want less. In that sense Jesus lived a small life. He knew what life was and he spend all his time on earth doing the things that really mattered. He refused to dance to the agendas of others or to waste time or to allow himself to become distracted. He knew how important it was to spend time in prayer and bible study and teaching and healing and deliverance and he did it. He wanted only what his Father wanted. He didn’t want what the world wants. “My heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I don’t concern myself with matters too awesome for me.” Jesus lived, like a small child, in the fullness of the present. He lived each moment fully. He didn’t live tomorrow today. That would have been to rob today. A few years back I wrote a book on the importance of living in the moment. However, the busyness of life is forcing me to learn all over again what that really means. I know I need to live a smaller life, in which I want less and spend more time simply being. How about you?