The world is going through a phase right now where simple is good. Mac made the iPod simple. Google made their search simple. Lexus has a commercial touting how simple their dashboard is. Dave Ramsey is awesome because he is so simple.
Jesus spoke in real simple terms. Love your neighbor, love your enemy, and above all, love your God.
How Bob? Funny you should ask that, because its really simple. Do it.
Whenever we complicate the issue or try to justify our actions as loving neighbor or loving God, we often just can't do what Jesus asks because its too simple.
Sure, underneath all this simpleness is a complex web of life. But does that mean that Jesus' simple commandments (or his real love) must be so complex that we can't do it?
Simple doesn't mean easy. Simple means hard. It means tough, because deep down I'd love to turn Christianity into this beast of a religion that wisks me away to a far off land and asks me to give up everything etc etc etc. (and while that might be in your calling, its not mine) and spend long hours pouring over the writings of past Christians before me. But thats why Jesus' message was so simple! So everyone and anyone could acheive the love of God for themselves and the people around them.
It seems to me that the Christians who have it right are the simplist people I know. So here are some simple things you can do...(and yes, I think the irony is obvious). Each of these is a way to love both God and your neighbor, just in different ways.
- worship: Praise and glorify the Lord of lords, and remember worship is about GOD first and you a distant distant second.
- fellowship: good Christian fellowship is so important to Christians that Wesley called it a Means of Grace by which you could experience the love of God.
- service: This is as much about loving yourself as it is loving your neighbor or God. Just like health is one of those indirect things you achieve through particular activities, service is one of those things that will make you love yourself.
- Don't do more! Do less, and do it better.
Jesus spoke in real simple terms. Love your neighbor, love your enemy, and above all, love your God.
How Bob? Funny you should ask that, because its really simple. Do it.
Whenever we complicate the issue or try to justify our actions as loving neighbor or loving God, we often just can't do what Jesus asks because its too simple.
Sure, underneath all this simpleness is a complex web of life. But does that mean that Jesus' simple commandments (or his real love) must be so complex that we can't do it?
Simple doesn't mean easy. Simple means hard. It means tough, because deep down I'd love to turn Christianity into this beast of a religion that wisks me away to a far off land and asks me to give up everything etc etc etc. (and while that might be in your calling, its not mine) and spend long hours pouring over the writings of past Christians before me. But thats why Jesus' message was so simple! So everyone and anyone could acheive the love of God for themselves and the people around them.
It seems to me that the Christians who have it right are the simplist people I know. So here are some simple things you can do...(and yes, I think the irony is obvious). Each of these is a way to love both God and your neighbor, just in different ways.
- worship: Praise and glorify the Lord of lords, and remember worship is about GOD first and you a distant distant second.
- fellowship: good Christian fellowship is so important to Christians that Wesley called it a Means of Grace by which you could experience the love of God.
- service: This is as much about loving yourself as it is loving your neighbor or God. Just like health is one of those indirect things you achieve through particular activities, service is one of those things that will make you love yourself.
- Don't do more! Do less, and do it better.
Yeah, I'm with you on all that, especially that part about the good news being so simple that the most simple among us can get it.
ReplyDeleteThe how do we do it question has to do with the cop-out opportunity we always seem to find. I believe we can "just do it". But everyone seems to be satisfied that we can't really. We can't really make a dent in poverty, war, child abuse, etc. Too often the call to simplicity looks more like a withdrawal from the battle; I can only do what I can do in my own little world. That is necessary, I agree. But at some point in time I think God wants us to go for the whole enchilada, to love the whole world. That cannot be done by one. But I believe it can be done, probably right now, by the entire body of Christ if we were truly acting as the body in concert. It is simple. I just get tired of hearing that it can't be done.
Maybe we've got it backwards. If we could start out going for the whole enchilada, sort of reverse the whole order of things, maybe we'd be better off.
ReplyDeleteMaybe if we'd approach the Gospel with the heart and mind and eyes of a child like Jesus asked, we wouldn't complicate the process.
Ever watch a kid approach something? They think...no, they know they can do it. They're swaggeringly confident. They can scale mountains, walk through fire, leap buildings in a single bound.
Could it be that simple?
yep. I think it is.
ReplyDelete