Keeping It Simple

Keeping It Simple

Mark 10:15

^“Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” 

     Complexity!  Our lives are more complex than ever before and getting more complex all the time.  We’re up to our eyebrows in complexity. 

   Tried to buy cereal lately?  Wheat, corn, oats or rice.  You can get gluten-free or vitamin enhanced.  With fruit or without.  Or how about toilet paper?  Soft, extra soft, strong, quilted, fluffy, one ply or two ply.  You can make your choice from dozens of offerings.  If you really like choices, go to a coffee shop.  Used to be you had a choice of regular or decaf, sugar or unsweetened, cream or black.  Simple.  Now you can choose from literally scores of choices.  Last time I visited I looked over a menu board that had more choices than the New York stock exchange.  They even offered a choice of cream, half and half, whole milk, 2% milk, fat free milk, lactose free milk, soy milk or almond milk. 

   Even our church experience often is mired in complexity. We can choose from traditional service, more modern services, several types of music, pews or chairs, pastors in suits, pastors in robes, pastors in jeans and tee shirts.  Take your pick!  Want to be baptized?  You can be dunked or sprinkled.  Many churches don’t even preach salvation so you’re spared the embarrassed of repenting.  Got kids?  There are dozens of Children’s programs during the adult service so the kids can be entertained and the parents can relax.

   And then there are the preachers who take their pilgrims through intricate levels and stages on their spiritual journey through life.  We split hairs and get frayed nerves.  Some churches boast that they have no particular religious slant.  Does it all have to be that complex?   

   As I read and study the Bible, I don’t believe Christianity is not meant to be complex.  Jesus even said how we should approach God.  Come as a child.  And He had some advice to help us through the hard times.  Take what is freely offered.  Trust God.  And when in doubt - be like Jesus.
    God could have made salvation a complex maze of pre-requisites, but He made it simple enough for a child to grasp.  Say “I’m sorry” and turn away from your sin.  And if you do sin again, say “I’m sorry” again and try harder not to sin. 

   I believe the anthem of the church should be an old song that really speaks to Christians in today’s complex world.

“Trust and obey - For there’s no other way

To be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey.”

Stephen Cram                                                          September 7, 2014

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, following the tradition of men according to the rudiments of the world, and not in accordance with Christ. 

Visit my pastor’s blog at http://pastorjonrhinehart.blogspot.com/.

Unless otherwise noted all Scripture is from the New King James Version of the Bible.