The simple life seems to be the new American dream. TV shows, magazines, and blogs have been set up to help us down size, organize, and weed out things that complicate our days. I LOVE all these things because I did a HUGE clean out this summer and my house feels so much better! My closets are breathing again, Olivia's toys are no longer overtaking the house, and my excess things are being used by other people. Fabulous! I've also been searching to simplify my spiritual life and I have come up with some thoughts in regards to that. You know them by heart and will probably role your eyes at my epiphany, but here it is. Basically the Christian life can be summed up by the two greatest commandments.
1)Love the Lord your God with all your heart soul, mind, and strength.
2)Love your neighbor as yourself
Simple right? Then why do we make it so complicated? I often hear people say that they would read the Bible more if it would address specific areas of their life more clearly. But lets think about it. If I am truly loving God with everything in me (mind, soul, and strength) then I would be walking in obedience with Him, able to hear His Holy Spirit loud and clear. When decisions arise: Move cross country and take the new job, marry the person I'm in love with, end my marriage or go to counseling...yadayadayada...the answer won't be written in the sky, but my heart's devotion to the Lord will clear my foggy mind. On the heels of a tragic situation where you're forced to decide if you still trust God, a heart that truly and wholly loves God, knows that trust is the glue that keeps your heart loving Him. On a relational level, "love your neighbor as yourself" is sort of easy since we deduce that we need to love others the way we want to be loved. However, when you have been treated unloving by someone, the eye for eye things starts to give way to justifying payback. Jesus knew this and addressed it in John 13:34 by saying, "A new commandment I give to you that you love one another, even as I have loved you." Whoa! So now we're forced to love one another not out of selfish love, but out of sacrificial love...as Christ has loved us. Slander, malice, hatred...we are called to respond in love. Accusations, lies, deceit...we are called to respond in love. This commandment leaves no room for payback, gossip, or the cold shoulder. Natural feelings? YES! But this is where the simplicity of the Christian life steps in. If I truly and wholly love the Lord with all my mind, soul, and strength then this second commandment is not that hard after all. In loving the Lord the way I should, I understand the grace He has given me. And in understanding the extent of His grace towards me, I am now able to offer on a small scale the same grace that ransomed my soul. If we try to live out the second commandment without the first, we will fail miserably because human love can only go so far. But by throwing ourselves into the arms and grace of our Heavenly Father, we love because we are loved...we forgive because we are forgiven...The Christian life only becomes complicated when we get our focus off of these commandments and try to do it on our own. Am I saying that life isn't hard? NO! Of course it is. Am I saying that living for Christ is problem free? Quite the opposite. But, when it seems overwhelming and confusion prevails, check your heart according to the commandments and see if the fog doesn't lift a bit.
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