The desert saints were a group people in third century Rome who
withdrew into the desert in order to pursue God and also to make a statement
about the state of Christianity under the Emperor Constantine. As Christianity
became more mainstream, even popular, the standards of discipleship that many
believers had adhered to became much more lax and some were convicted that they
needed to speak out against the luxuries and laxity of the day. Those who
withdrew into the desert voluntarily stripped themselves of comforts and
conveniences and practiced rigorous disciplines in order to seek God free of
distraction. One well-known desert saint, Antony of Egypt said that “the soul’s
intensity is strong when the pleasures of the body are weakened.”
In our society, the idea of voluntarily foregoing comforts
and conveniences sounds a bit extreme. The messages of advertising and even
some religious groups instill in us the idea that we deserve to have what we
want when we want it. We deserve that
latte, bubble bath, expensive dinner, bowl of ice cream, promotion, new car,
etc. Consequently, many of us are accustom to pampering ourselves in little
ways--perhaps some we're not even aware of--just because we can.
Of course, it's not wrong to pamper ourselves sometimes. But while some of the desert saints may have been extreme to a fault in their austerity, we are probably extreme to a fault at times in our attitudes of entitlement. We can certainly learn from these brothers and sisters of the past. The takeaway,
in my opinion, is not that we should never splurge on something that we enjoy
(I’m all for celebrating things small and great), but rather, that we can learn
to exercise moderation and tell ourselves “no” at times in order to grow our
character and silence the whiny baby inside of us that insists on getting what
he or she wants. Saying “no” to ourselves is good for us, and if we don’t practice doing it in small ways, we
will be ill prepared for doing so when more is required of us.
Proverbs 27:7 says, “One who is full loathes honey, but to
one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet.” Geoff and I were talking about
what this Proverb means recently and he revealed to me that it’s actually a
truth that has shaped his life in a big way. One of the ways he has applied it
is by learning to eat simple meals, “eating to live” rather than “living to
eat.”
I was reminded of this idea the other night when Geoff was
at school. We don’t always cook dinner when he has class, so I was eating a boiled egg
and an apple with peanut butter. I chuckled to myself about it being
a funny dinner and then thought, “Why is this funny? I’m
eating food. This is a “meal” filled
with vitamins and protein that so many would be ecstatic to have access
to.” Since when did dinner have to be a
production? Believe me, I enjoy nice meals and I think they are one of God’s
good gifts for us to enjoy, but reminding myself that I’ll be okay if I don’t
eat whatever I’m craving at the moment is good for my soul. Charles Bridges notes of this Proverb that "The man, whose appetite is cloyed with indulgence, turns with disgust from the sweetest dainties; while every bitter and distasteful thing is keenly relished by the hungry soul, perhaps just saved from starvation. This healthful appetite is one of the many counterbalancing advantages of poverty." -Proverbs Even though I have access to more than I need and don't have to go hungry, I want to train myself to find even bitter things to be sweet (or in my case, maybe a simple cup of tea with honey instead of ice cream every night).
Gerald Sittser notes that “Like the desert saints, we too
must withdraw into the desert. But it will most likely be a different kind of
desert, and it will most likely require a different kind of sacrifice, one less
obvious, but no less necessary and significant. Heroic feats are not as useful
as the subtle and deliberate choices we make every day to submit ourselves to
God.”-Water from a Deep Well, p.94
His words bring 1
Corinthians 13 to mind which tells us that even if we do some of the greatest
things—such as giving away all that we possess—we have nothing if we don’t have
love. And isn’t submitting ourselves to God in the little, daily ways how we
show love to Him and to our neighbor?
This isn’t something to turn into a formula or to give us
license to judge others. I think it’s a personal thing. Only I can really
know when I actually need a nap or when I’m simply being lazy,etc. But the fact
that it isn’t a formula isn’t reason to dismiss the idea altogether. Saying
“no” to or exercising restraint with some of our little whims can help us tame
our inner toddler that demands to have its way, appreciate God’s gifts more
fully, and ultimately be more fit to take up our cross and follow Jesus.
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