At a recent small group gathering, a friend named David shared something he had seen on a fridge magnet: “To make life richer, make life simpler.”

We all nodded in agreement.

But HOW do you make life richer by making it simpler?

Here’s a tip for those among us who resonate with this idea deep within our frantic souls.

Cultivate an appreciation for creation. 

I could have said to “cultivate an appreciation for nature,” but the word “creation” is better. It reminds us that we are living in a world that a good God has care-fully created. Genesis 1:31 says, “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.”

-Has anyone ever regretted going for a walk in the woods?
-Has anyone ever said that watching a sunrise (or sunset) was a waste of time?
-Has anyone ever gone for a swim or had a picnic on the grass and felt worse as a result?

I’m guessing not.

I think that when we speed up our lives, never hit the brakes, and cut ourselves off from the beautiful world around us, we are somehow betraying a natural pace and place that keeps us in tune with God’s deep shalom—his deep peace—which is woven into his creation… a creation that you and I are a part of.

If you want to make life richer by making it simpler, cultivate an appreciation for creation.

“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.”

By Matthew Ruttan

–Here’s a short YouTube video about what I’ll be talking about this Sunday (March 11th) at Westminster.