Living Simply

by Tom Swallow

Last week, I met an asylum seeker family who came into our church in Blackpool.

They had fled persecution, carrying very little but their faith and a hope for safety. Their journey was marked by trauma and loss, yet their trust in God remained unshaken. Hearing their story, I felt compelled to act—not out of abundance, but from a heart convicted by Jesus’s call to serve.

Isaiah 61:1-3 tells us:

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, 

to proclaim freedom for the captives”

As Christians, we are called to a life of simplicity—not for the sake of deprivation, but to deepen our dependence on God.

The world teaches us to buy more and more and more, to find security in wealth and possessions. But Jesus showed us another way: a life where we trust in God’s provision, free from the distractions of material excess, just more and more and more.

When we live simply, we create space to love, give, and serve more.

Poverty isn’t just about lacking money; it’s about broken systems that leave people vulnerable or helpless.

But we are not helpless.

When we live a simple life, centered on Jesus, it allows us to share freely— to be generous with our money, our time, or to simply listen to someone’s story.

That asylum-seeking family reminded me: that our security is not in what we own, but in the hands of a loving God. When we release our grip on material excess we can embrace the joy of truly following Jesus—sharing good news with the poor, binding up the brokenhearted and offering freedom to captives.

This week, you are not helpless, why don’t you use some of your excess to help others. You could look up a charity that you could give a small amount of money too, or look for ways to serve or support a charity locally with your time?

Jesus,

Help me to live simply, to rely on you not the stuff I own. Please help me to use what I do have to help others.

Amen.