We were never meant to carry it this complicated.
This morning, while getting ready for work, I was listening to Dan Mohler, and something he said stopped me: we were not saved to go to heaven. We were not saved to have all our needs met. We were saved because God loved us.
I sat with that for a while.
There’s something beautiful about wanting a simple life. One built on honesty, both to yourself and to others. Patience with the journey. Kindness. Gentleness. Loving the simple things. I want a simple life, a simple wife and family, a simple career. Above all, I want a simple relationship with God and with man. It’s amazing how we’ve made life, which was meant to be simple, so complex, from following the will of God to the way we relate to each other.
What We Lost, and What Was Restored
The simplicity of the gospel is God’s love to man, and man’s one and only responsibility is receiving that love. We were created to fellowship with God, and that is what we lost in the Garden of Eden. It is also what Jesus Christ came to restore.
Receiving, Not Performing
Your responsibility is to receive His love. And you may ask, how do I receive His love? By reading His word and spending time with Him. His word exposes how He sees you, while prayer is you coming into fellowship with Him, aligning your heart to His.
The Comparison Trap
Some of us have given up hope on our Christian journey because when we compare our lives to other Christians, ours feels like a far cry. But the truth is, God isn’t looking at them. He is focused on you. Not judging you. Not forcing you into a relationship with Him. Following God is simple. It is all about having a relationship with Him. That is the simplicity of life, where you can always talk to Him, share your feelings and thoughts with Him, without fear of judgment or rejection.
Coming Home to Simple
This is my own definition of Christianity. Not a performance. Not a comparison. Just a quiet life, a quiet faith, and the steady work of receiving a love that was never complicated to begin with.
