Simplicity
2 Corinthians 1:12 For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.
Ok, how many really read all the fine print before your ‘John Henry’ goes on the line? (I know some of you that do). You know, when all the inspections are done, the problems dealt with, and now all that’s left is the mountainous stack of documents that require your signature. The first few might actually get at least a full reading, but after a while, especially with the loud ‘tick, ticking’ feeling coming from those waiting on you to finally close this deal, you just go for the simple explanation of the person that is laying each document before you. Sound’s good?- Scribble, scribble, scribble, and you’ve just legally committed your life to every complicated detail on another page, based upon the trust of a simplified version provided by someone you might have just met a few moments prior. Though this would seem to be a little less than responsible and provide means by which something could later be held against you, there really should be no problem, as long as this new friend of yours is providing a sufficient synopsis and you’re getting the chance to go ahead with a decision that might not have otherwise ever been decided upon. Without his simplified version, when the legalese was ever finally understood, and when there was sufficient confidence in that understanding to go forward with a decision for each document, the waiting agents might have met with their pillow numerous times. And really, when all the details are finally understood on each page, it all comes down to just one simple choice anyway- ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Your main objective at that point is to start moving your stuff into your new home, and really all that’s inhibiting your progress are several simple choices. So, for the sake of expediency and progress, your heart and soul are committed to a big chunk of change for a long period of time.
Left to ourselves and our ability to completely wrap our ‘wisdom’ around every little detail concerning this place that’s prepared for us in the presence of God, a choice is often made to just avoid a decision altogether, or make an incorrect one based upon faulty understanding. Multitudes are hanging out in a valley of decision, because they can’t get past the Christianese, the Greek, or the thee’s and thou’s. And, often attempts to solve this problem by having others stack up more documents just adds to the predicament and exacerbates the problem. To actually start moving stuff into the new house with God will require complete trust in the simple explanations of the Holy Spirit- which is really faith itself, going ahead with a commitment based upon a simple word before every detail is seen. When it comes to deciding: where your newly acquired resources will go, what you will set before your eyes or ears, the words that will come out of your mouth, the thoughts you will choose to think on…, it is is most important that each one of these life impacting decisions gets made based upon the very simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ that the Holy Spirit will make to be very clear and easy. Where there is trust given to the simple word He places in your heart, there will be confidence to go forward, possess, and inhabit, while the alternative is potential homelessness. As we live and grow in Him there will be increased understanding and ability to comprehend the depth that is in Him, but throughout this process there will be an ability to walk and act in the boldness of faith based upon something that will always have bottom line simplicity. Choices and decisions, no matter their complexity, will be made or avoided. As each one is getting our ‘John Henry’, though, there must be complete trust in the simplified explanations of the Holy Spirit that will guide and direct to all truth.
2 Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
