I think my views on this matter can beautifully shown by the way the Amish and the Mennonites choose to live. Now to be clear, there are some views and practices of the Amish that I don't agree with, but I'm not going into that. And also bear in mind I know that I am stereotyping them here. I am aware that the Amish do vary from one community to another, some permit different practices. But most have this element in common.
My main focus is on the part of their beliefs where they reject the world and its luxuries and comforts. In their view, loving the world prevents them from getting closer to God, and that they should be happy and content trying to live within their own means. I respect this attitude greatly. The world criticizes them for this but I think we do need to take a good lesson from them.
Basically the Amish have taken the last commandment very seriously. Instead of desiring to have what everyone else has, they have chosen to be content with hard work and sacrifice. Now I don't think it's good to do that out of tradition. I do think that it is good to show God that we love him more than we love convenience.
I think that we can certainly give up much of what we have or want. I think it's fine to have cars, but not to use them as measuring sticks. I think it's alright to have a comfortable home. I think it's fine to have nice clothes. But I don't think it's fine to use them to show our status in our society.
The Amish can show us that they don't need most of the stuff we think we need. And if we could let go of our pride and selfishness, we could give up most of this stuff which actually enslaves us. Yes. Think of it that way. The commandments of God don't exist to control and limit us. Rather they free us from having to bear the natural consequences of breaking them. When God tells us not to covet, he wants us to be free from the chains of covetousness. The Amish in many ways are much freer than most of us. And I believe the Amish as a people are closer to God than most.
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