"To be simple is to be great"

Ralph Waldo Emerson

It's been a couple days since I've last posted, but there really hasn't been that much on my mind to write something. And I don't want these posts to be lame, so I decided to wait until something hit me pretty hard. However, on Friday Liberty had the privilege to hear from Sujo John, who talked about his experience on September 11th, 2001. His message was great, and his illustrations/imagery was phenomenal. He talked about how we put our "glossy trash on the old rugged cross." BAM! Not much more you can say about that... well there is, but that's not what today's post is about. But there is one thing that Sujo John did say that is relevant... He argued at one point that Christianity is simple and Johnnie Moore agreed in Campus Church yesterday saying that being a Christian is simple if we follow the two rules - Put God first, and love one another.

This morning I read about simplicity. Ironic how I've slowly been learning this idea of simplicity over the past couple of days. When I read, I don't always pick things up right away. It's not always a swift "smack in the face" or "running into a brick wall" moments. Sometimes God reveals things to me slowly. Sometimes it seems simpler when God slows it down so I can soak it in. I can even look back on the past couple of hours and see what God has taught me. It blows my mind how God teaches me.

"But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." 2 Corinthians 11:3

I am guilty of complicating things or rationalizing with God. I can think of countless times when I tried reasoning with God for my actions. It's so easy to become so legalistic and try to deceive our minds about things we want to do or sins we want to commit. But I need to realize that what God has for me is greater than what Satan wants for me. God cares about me. God loves me. God knows what I need. So why do I go to the one who lies, cheats, deceives, kills, angers, defiles and destroys? Because Satan has the "sweets." He has the candy jar, and what we need is solid food. We want the quick fix for our hunger or sweet tooth. That five or ten minutes of rich, milky, chocolaty "goodness." Whether its a snickers bar or a jolly rancher, we go for the quick fix. But once that's over with, we see our longing for the good food. I want that juicy steak, or that ample supply of fruit. "...as the serpent deceived Eve..." We know that Eve went through it, and I know I go through it daily. Just as we go to the Dentist to get our teeth removed, we need to ask God to remove our "sweet tooth" that will draw us into the hands of the devil. We need to think simple. I know that Satan is going to try to destroy me. Nothing he has is of eternal significance. WHY DO I GO BACK TO HIM?!?!?! I fall back to sin when I need to fall to my knees. Simplicity.

We hear it all the time, but it is the truth - we need to be like Children. One thing did hit me like a kick in the face - Matthew 11:25. "At that time Jesus declared, 'I thank you, Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children." How many times have we learned from a little kid. We don't realize that sometimes we need the perspective of a 9 year old. Their minds are so simple and basic. They don't rationalize, they don't argue, they don't reason, they're just kids. They don't know any better, but that's why God is calling us to be like children. I feel like it's the moments of those little kids when they ask a million questions, or keep asking "WHY?!" They don't know any better. They're clueless to Satan and his tactics. That verse says God hides things from the wise and understanding. Wise and understanding = you and me. We need to be simpler. We need to be like children. Why? Verse 28 - "Come to me... I will give you rest."

He's got our backs?! John 16:33 "But take heart, I have overcome the world." Oh just the world.. no big deal... ummm.... THE WORLD!!!! HELLO! It actually upsets me that I go to anyone else BUT God! He is the only one who will satisfy our needs, not our wants or cravings, our needs.

So today, I want to be simple. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "To be simple is to be great." I don't know about you, but I want to be great. I want to get to Heaven and hear God say, "Well done, thy good and faithful servant."

In His Name,

Geren