Saturday, June 28, 2014

Simplify

But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:31 NIV)

Do you remember when life was simple? I really remember lying on my back in our yard on county line road in Greenwood, Indiana, as an early elementary age kid, watching the clouds go by, washing my bike, killing bees and feeding them to the ants, building forts, playing outside until it got dark, walking to the corner store to get bubble gum cigars and candy cigarettes, using a baseball bat as a machine gun, playing war with my buddies, vacationing with my grandparents, spending summers with my cousins on the lake, countless baseball and football games, and nothing more important than spending time with family and friends. I'm sure my parents had worries about feeding six kids, bills, jobs, stress, but I was oblivious to it. 

That was the simple life. 

Now I'm not sure even the kids of our modern society get to enjoy the simple life. We have complicated life to the extent there's no joy. Sometimes I think we have complicated our faith in such a way it also steals the joy. That includes how we have complicated the Bible and it's message. This verse sums it up. The Bible is written that we may know Jesus is the son of God and if we believe, we will have eternal life. It's really as simple as that. Sure the Bible is also full of great resources for living today. But, it all points to this simple statement of the truth.

Dear Lord, please help us simplify life to the point it is all about you. It's not about money, schedules, jobs, bills, or THINGS. We are three days away from vacation. May it be a time to refocus on the simplicity of life. May it be a time of refreshing and resting in the knowledge that you are God and there is no other. Amen!

No comments: