The Secret to Rebuilding Society
I know. That’s a big claim, but bear with me. We live in a society that values a lot of things, but time and money are big ones. We are constantly trying to move faster, save time, buy the cheapest item, etc. These two concepts are important to a lot of people. I think almost every modern person would agree that they are always trying to find some new way to save time and money.
Or, at least, we think we are. Here’s what I mean.
Many of us live lives devoid of intentionality.
I may be a planner, but I struggle with this myself a lot. We are creatures that like to copy what we see around us, and our fast-paced modern lifestyle promotes living from one moment to the next with often little forethought. But more importantly, we tend to opt toward making choices that are most convenient for us. I am here to tell you today: Convenient is the enemy of intentionality.
God gave us gifts and talents in order to give back to our communities and make them flourish. Instead, as modern people living in a modern world, we tend to consume far more than we create. If there is an “easier” and “faster” solution to something, we will probably choose it over the “slower” and often more satisfying alternative. We constantly choose “fast” fashion, “fast” food, and a “fast” lifestyle over local farmers, handmade garments that are built to last, and slowing down to enjoy the little things. And the worst part is, we make these decisions for the most part subconsciously. Why? Because everyone else does – that’s what I mean by a lack of intentionality.
We have also bought into the lies that a consumerist society has tried to feed us – primarily that “fast” means “better.” However, as anyone who has owned a pair of handmade clothes or tasted a home cooked meal can tell you, “fast” does not always equal “quality” or “satisfaction,” nor does it equal “cheap.”
Contrary to popular belief, it is often less expensive to create than it is to consume. Cooking your own food from basic ingredients definitely costs less than fast-food or ready-made meals at the grocery store. So many other skills like baking bread, sewing, and gardening are not just self-sufficiency. They are a good investment. I have personally seen what a healthy home-cooked meal can do for the morale of a home.
“I don’t have time,” You say? That’s where intentionality comes in! There is no sacrifice of time, so long as the day starts with intentionality, and the time is divided up so that everything can be accomplished in a practical fashion. I can personally attest that it is 100% possible to bake two loaves of bread, make homemade noodles while a sauce is simmering on the oven and finish sewing a handmade garment in one day, after finishing grading homework assignments and watering/weeding the garden! The only sacrifice might be that you’ll have to spend one or two hours less browsing Facebook or watching Netflix – I know, a real loss!
So what do we do about it? Here’s what I try to live by, and I promise, I am constantly failing and getting back up to try again:
1) SURRENDER everything to God at the start of the day: all the merits, mistakes, successes, and failures that are going to come. No matter what happens, it is all for His glory anyway!
2) DECIDE what is possible. Each of us has different skills and interests. While hand-sewing clothes might not be for you, maybe making a little herb garden or taking an hour or two every few days to make homemade bread would be totally worth it. I can vouch that the members of your household will agree!
3) CREATE and have all the fun you want! My motto is: “Why buy it if I can make it?” And the best part is that creativity is contagious. Before you know it, the people around you will be wanting to learn to make things as well! I have taught high school students how to sew, cook, bake bread, and so much else. And guess what, they were not pressured! They simply saw me creating and caught the bug! And as my Mom always says, “idle hands are the devil’s playground.”
Help me rebuild our society one community at a time! Choose to create!
