Integrating Faith Into Your Simple Life

Sometimes, the more complicated life gets, the easier it is for faith to be tucked into the corners instead of standing front and center. It’s not that we ever mean for that to happen. It just seems like the busyness of schedules, chores, unexpected events, and the little emergencies that pop up, all have a way of crowding in. Before we realize it, our days are running us instead of us running our days. If you are struggling to find a way to incorporate  a little more faith in your simple life, then listen in and learn how to take the first step.

Transcript

Episode 188 - Integrating Faith into your Simple Life

I don’t know about you, but I’ve found that the more complicated life gets, the easier it is for my faith to be tucked into the corners instead of standing front and center. It’s not that I ever mean for that to happen. It just seems like the busyness of schedules, chores, unexpected events, and the little emergencies that pop up, all have a way of crowding in. Before I realize it, my days are running me instead of me running my days. And when that happens, my quiet time with God can get pushed to “later.” And you know how “later” goes — sometimes it shows up, but more often it just quietly slips away.

The truth is, faith isn’t supposed to be something we add to the top of an already full list. It’s meant to be the foundation that list rests on. I picture it like building a house — the faith is the cement slab or the firm wooden floor. Everything else in life — your home, your work, your family, your hobbies — they’re all the walls and furniture and decorations. Without the foundation, you don’t have a sturdy home, no matter how pretty the curtains might be.

Integrating faith into your simple life doesn’t have to be complicated, though. In fact, when we simplify our lives, we often uncover more room for God than we ever realized was possible. But it doesn’t happen by accident. It’s about intention. It’s about shaping our daily choices, routines, and priorities so they naturally make space for God, instead of making us feel like He’s just another “to-do” to squeeze in.

When I first began thinking about simplifying my life, I thought of it mostly in terms of decluttering — fewer possessions, fewer commitments, fewer obligations. But I quickly realized that simplifying life is about more than just the physical or the schedule. It’s about the heart. It’s about clearing out the spiritual clutter too. That clutter can look like worry, perfectionism, constant comparison, or even the kind of self-reliance that says, “I’ve got this, God,” without realizing we’ve pushed Him to the sidelines.

One of the ways I started to integrate faith more deeply into my days was to stop trying to separate “God time” from “regular time.” For years, I had my morning devotional, and that was my “God time.” Then I’d close my Bible and jump into laundry, farm chores, meal prep, errands. It wasn’t bad — it was actually a good routine — but I realized I was treating faith like a scheduled appointment instead of a steady companion. I wanted it to flow through my whole day, not just the first fifteen minutes.

So now, instead of just starting my morning with a prayer, I let prayer wander with me through my day. When I’m putting laundry on the line, I might pray for my family while I’m hanging their shirts. When I’m stirring a pot of soup, I might pray for a friend who’s sick or for the people who will sit around my table. When I’m driving into town, I’ll talk to God about whatever’s on my heart — and then pause to listen, even if the listening is just driving quietly with the radio off. Faith isn’t something I “fit in.” It’s the air I breathe.

Now, I’m not perfect at this. There are days I’m so distracted or tired that my prayers sound more like a mumbled “Lord, help me” before bed. Those are what my friend Ayn calls ‘bullet prayers’, and they do have their time and place in our busy lives. But the more I practice weaving faith into the fabric of my days, the more natural it becomes. And that’s the thing — faith, like any habit, grows with practice. You start small, and over time, it feels as natural as pouring your morning coffee.

Another way I’ve found to integrate faith is through the rhythm of the seasons. A simple life tends to be more in tune with nature — you notice the leaves changing, the way the light shifts in autumn, the first brave flower pushing through in spring. For me, these changes are natural prompts to think about God’s faithfulness. Just as the seasons turn right on time, God’s presence in my life is steady and sure. In the fall, I might reflect on letting go, like the trees shedding their leaves. In the winter, I think about resting in Him. Spring brings hope and new beginnings, and summer often reminds me of abundance and joy.

In a simple life, these seasonal cues can become little spiritual anchors. You might mark the start of a season with a special scripture reading, a prayer walk, or even a small change in your home that reminds you to focus on God in a new way. Maybe in autumn, you place a small basket of leaves on your table and think about Ecclesiastes 3 — that there’s a time for everything. In spring, you might plant a small flower bed and dedicate it as a reminder of resurrection and renewal.

Of course, integrating faith isn’t only about quiet reflection. It’s also about the way we live and interact with others. Simple living often makes room for more meaningful connections — fewer distractions mean we can listen more deeply, speak more kindly, and notice the needs of those around us. Every act of kindness can be an expression of faith. Every time we choose patience over irritation, generosity over greed, humility over pride, we’re living our faith out loud.

I think about 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12, where it says, “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your hands…so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.” That passage always grounds me. It’s such a simple instruction, but so rich. Leading a quiet life doesn’t mean a silent or isolated one. It means living with intention, with dignity, with steadiness — and that’s a life where faith has plenty of room to breathe.

Sometimes, integrating faith into your simple life means being willing to slow down enough to actually notice God’s fingerprints on your day. We rush so much that we miss them. The small mercies — like the unexpected phone call from a friend when you were feeling low, or the way the sunrise seemed to be painted just for you that morning — those are gifts from Him. But you can’t see them if your head is always down, buried in the next task.

One thing I like to do — and it may sound a little old-fashioned — is keep a blessing notebook. Nothing fancy. Just a spiral-bound notebook I can grab from the kitchen drawer. When I notice something that feels like God’s hand in my day, I write it down. Some days, it’s just one thing: “The tomatoes ripened after all that rain.” Other days, it’s a whole list: “Had time to rest, got a letter from an old friend, found the missing measuring cup.” The point isn’t the size of the blessing; it’s the awareness of it. Over time, you begin to see how integrated God’s goodness already is in your life — and that strengthens your faith.

Now, I know some folks might be thinking, “Well, that all sounds nice, but my life doesn’t feel simple at all right now. I can barely keep up, let alone weave faith into every part of it.” I get that. Sometimes we’re in seasons that are just plain busy or hard — caring for loved ones, dealing with health issues, juggling work and family. In those seasons, integrating faith may look different. It might be as small as pausing for a deep breath and whispering, “God, I trust You” before tackling the next thing. It might be putting a verse on your refrigerator, so you see it every time you grab the milk. Small things count. They really do.

Faith integration is a process, not a one-time decision. It’s about learning to walk with God in the middle of whatever life looks like today — simple or messy, calm or chaotic. And it’s about letting that relationship shape everything else. Your priorities begin to shift. Your definition of “enough” changes. You might start saying no to things that don’t fit the life God’s calling you to live, even if they seem good on the surface.

Over time, your faith becomes less of a separate “part” of your life and more like the thread running through every piece of it. It’s what holds the quilt together. And when you have that, even on the hardest days, there’s a steady undercurrent of peace.

So if you’re wanting to integrate your faith more deeply into your simple life, here’s where I’d encourage you to start: notice God in the small things, talk to Him in the middle of your everyday, let the seasons be your reminders, and don’t underestimate the quiet power of living out your faith in how you treat people. These aren’t big, flashy changes. They’re little shifts, and over time, they can transform the way you experience both faith and life.

And maybe most importantly — give yourself grace in the process. There will be days you’ll feel like you didn’t do enough, pray enough, or focus enough. But God isn’t measuring your worth by your spiritual “productivity.” He’s walking with you, even in the moments when you’re distracted or tired. The goal isn’t perfection — it’s connection. And the beauty of a simple life is that it gives you more chances to connect, if you’re willing to slow down and take them.

Are you looking to incorporate a little more faith in your Simple Life? Then be sure to check out my book – Faith & a Simple Life. It’s available on Amazon in Kindle and paperback, and there’s a link for it down in the show notes!