In this episode, we continue our journey through The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer, diving into the third principle of unhurried living: simplicity. Before getting into the chapter, there is a quick reminder about the moving sale — physical copies of the God Is My CEO Prayer Journal, the podcast planner, and She Is Uncompromising are still available for just $5 each plus shipping. Orders of 10 or more ship free. Links are in the show notes.

The episode opens with a reflection on Sabbath practices from last week's discussion, including a practical tip for using AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude to generate hobby ideas that align with rest and worship — not work. From floral arranging to crafting custom tea blends, the goal is finding activities that slow you down and reconnect you with the beauty of God's creation.

The heart of the episode centers on what the author calls the "gospel of America" — the cultural belief that life's meaning is found in accumulation and consumption. Drawing on Jesus' own words about wealth, greed, and the deceitfulness of riches, listeners are challenged to honestly examine whether they would follow God even if success never looked the way they envisioned. The episode also takes a critical look at the history of American consumerism, the rise of lifestyle marketing and influencer culture, and the very real spiritual danger of allowing things — cars, clothes, brands, and clout — to become identity markers.

A Princeton study by Kahneman and Deaton, originally placing the happiness income threshold at $75,000 (approximately $108,500 in today's dollars), sparks a candid pushback: money is not the problem when it is used to buy freedom, experiences, and time rather than stuff. The episode challenges the author's framing while affirming his core point — the relentless accumulation of things accelerates hurry and pulls us away from the unhurried life Jesus modeled.

The episode wraps before the chapter's 12 practical tips on simplicity, which will be covered in the next episode.

Key Highlights

Moving sale is still active — prayer journals, podcast planner, and more available for $5 each; orders of 10 or more ship free
Using AI tools to brainstorm Sabbath-friendly hobbies that cannot be turned into a business
The "gospel of America" — how consumerism has replaced religion as the dominant system of meaning in Western culture
A hard introspective question: would you still follow God if your business never produced the results on your vision board?
The history of how corporate America deliberately engineered a culture of consumption after World War II
A challenge to Christian content creators who promote products to examine whether that activity contributes to consumerism
The $75,000 happiness study — published in 2010, equivalent to roughly $108,500 today — and why a fixed happiness ceiling is worth questioning
The distinction between spending money on stuff versus spending money on freedom, time, and experiences
Next episode: the remaining half of the simplicity chapter, including 12 practical tips from the author

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