Simple, Simplicity

<<easy, plain>>

The religious leaders of Jesus day had a multitude of rules and commands but Jesus summed up how we are to live into two commands – love God with our whole being and others as ourselves (Mk 12:30,31). To deal with

Do I complicate things unnecessarily?

the complexity of choices and demands in life He stated, make God's Kingdom and His righteousness your top priority and all the necessary things (that He knows about anyway) will given to us (Mt 6:32,33). The Bible says that even the simple, those who are naive and immature will not stray from the pathway of life, for within everyone is a conscious understanding of right and wrong and the way we show our love for God is to obey Him (Isa 35:8; Jn 14:15; Rom 2:12-15).

God’s Word gives understanding to the simple and children often embrace the simple gospel message by faith more easily than the ‘wise’ adults who miss it because they try to figure out this gift that is to be received and not earned (Ps 119:130; Mt 11:25; Lk 10:21; Eph 2:8,9). According to Jesus the straightforward requirement to being saved is "Repent and believe the gospel" (Mk 1:15). When genuinely embraced this will result in a total lifestyle change and with obedience to His directives. Although God relates with us on a unsophisticated level His nature is complex and multi-faceted with His ways beyond our understanding (Rom 11:33).

Do not make the grace of God or the walking in holiness a complicated matter, instead be like Paul who kept his preaching simple with the Holy Spirit bringing blessing to his hearers (1 Cor 1:21, 2:1-5). While we should seek to gain a greater knowledge and understanding in our faith, the emphasis should be on the practical walking humbly with God and keeping in step with the Holy Spirit rather than only amassing a head knowledge (Mic 6:8; Gal 5:16,25).

The Lord protects the simple-hearted and often displays His grace through seemingly foolish or simple means, so it becomes obvious it is not because of human ability (Ps 116:6; Zech 4:6; Act 4:13; 1 Cor 1:26-29). As a lavish life

Live simply so that others may simply live

style is hard to maintain try doing with less, for real life and living are not related to how rich we are (Lk 12:15). Do I enjoy the wholesome and often free things of life – from nature to a beautiful sunset?

The man healed by Jesus did know a great deal about the person who had healed him but he had a clear testimony, "One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see" (Jn 9:25). Our witnessing to others should be a genuine and simple explanation of the change He has brought, with the hope that they too will reach out to Christ and be made whole spiritually.

See also: complicated, knowledge, witness/witnessing.