Have you ever wished life had an easy button? I have one that looks great sitting on my desk, but what if it really worked? We have incredible inventions that simplify our lives. Cars, microwaves, cell phones, and my new personal favorite -- my GPS and Blackberry Storm. Unfortunately, I’ve found that although most things really can be simple, they’re almost never easy.
Think about becoming a great musician. It’s simple -- lots of practice. I took classical piano lessons for a decade. I’m thankful now, but I can tell you first hand that it wasn’t easy. Think about companies that are household names because they’ve focused on “simple.” Google has the simplest home page on the Internet. Everyone recognizes the little silver apple that adorns Mac computers. Southwest Airlines became the United States’ most profitable airline because it simplified how it handled passengers. Papa John’s Pizza says, “We have a simple formula for success: focus on one thing and try to do it better than anyone else.” It must have worked because they’re the fastest growing pizza chain today.
Even for Jesus, simple was a way of life. The Scripture says of him, in Matthew 8:16-17, “That evening many demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. He cast out the evil spirits with a simple command, and he healed all the sick.” Simple? Maybe for Jesus. But certainly not easy.
The Bible tells us Jesus operated in that kind of power and authority, that kind of simplicity because he committed himself to a lifestyle of fasting and prayer. That’s not easy. Many of us operate on a misguided idea that life should be easy. But if everything came easily, we wouldn’t appreciate what we have and we certainly wouldn't need faith. In fact, the Bible tells us it’s impossible to please God without faith.
So maybe we’ll never have an easy life, but we certainly can have a simple one. So what’s the key to finding simplicity? Here’s five things that can help.
First, give up on expecting easy! Jesus said, “Don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
Second, eliminate the unnecessary. The Apostle Paul reminds us in Philippians 1:9-10, “ I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters.” If we desire what’s necessary, we have to eliminate the unnecessary. If I were brave, I would ask the ladies what percentage of the clothes in their closets they actually wear? But I’m not brave. Sometimes in life we must say no to “good” things so we have time for the best things, even if they’re enjoyable.
Third, ask God what he thinks is essential. The Bible gives us a great head start on that question, because Jesus identified the most essential elements of life in Matthew 22. “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Fourth, make bold decisions. There’s an obscure story in the Old Testament about King Hezekiah who “did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight.” He cut down an infamous statue of a bronze serpent that once brought healing to the Israelites but became an old tradition that no longer produced life. Sometimes things we’re holding on to really need to be let go. Radical change may be required.
Finally, embrace sacrifice. Jesus modeled this well for us. The solution to the reconciliation of man to God was simple: Jesus’ death on the cross. But it most definitely wasn’t easy. Simplicity requires us dying to ourselves. In Galatians 2:20-21, Paul says, Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion...The life you see me living is not “mine” but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
On most days life won’t be easy, but it certainly can be simple if we embrace God’s solution for life.