Because we make everything complex. Complex ranges from simple complex to terrifying complex. When faced with putting toys together at Christmas many people get that feeling the task is going to be more complex than we thought. In order to develop this feeling we have to open the box. Once the box is opened, there is no going back. You are committed. Well, I imagine you could close the box up and return it if it came to that. Keep your inhaler close by. Because of my past I am able to strip down a 4 barrel carburetor, replace parts and reassemble with a working carburetor on my car. Put before me an entertainment center that is "packaged" in China, marked as being "intermediate" for level of difficulty and you just as well put me on a ski slope meant for those who are experts. "Some assembly required" strikes terror in the hearts of many men. Then, after you have taken two days to assemble that shoe rack what do you do with all the extra parts? They do that just to mess with our heads. I have a box full of extra parts. Maybe they will come in handy in case they decide to cut corners and eliminate a screw here or a bolt there.
I love to cook. Simple meat and potatoes meals were what I was raised on and are what I do best. Every now and then I am tempted to take on a recipe because it sounds and looks so good. So, I make my list of what I don't have and go to the store. Not many stores carry liquid smoke. Those who do sell this insanely small bottle for an insanely big price. Next time I'll just start a stove fire and let the natural smoke permeate the food (and everything else in the house.). My favorite trip to the store involved hunting for Saffron strings. I had no idea what Saffron was, how it tasted, and where I could find it. Three stores later I found it in a local grocery store. They said I was out for 30 minutes having fainted from seeing the price. When I came to there were very sympathetic souls offering advice. "I fainted too the first time." said one older lady. The people who wrote the recipe didn't have any problem paying $15.00 for 2 strings of Saffron. I did but there is no substitute. Luckily my bank was inside the store so I went over and took out a loan so I could get the Saffron. Nothing is simple or cheap.
There is the old adage "If it looks too good to be true, it probably is." Boy is that true! Equally important is the "If you need to ask, you can't afford it." We've defined ourselves by what we have and what we can afford. We don't define ourselves as to our dedication level to Jesus or what we do for Jesus. That's because, we have had the Gospel presented to us in the "Take Jesus to be your Savior and everything will be wonderful!" So we end up thinking this is something simple while we have made the life lived for Christ complex by our endless conditions on unconditional love. For instance, we are asked to die to self. Okay, what does that entail? How long will the death take? Will this be as painful as it implies? After I die, who am I? So many questions with such a simple command. We are asked to pick up our cross and carry it. Isn't that what Christ did so I don't have to do that? What kind of cross? How big a cross? Can I have help carrying the cross? Why is this so complex?!
The truth is if we live simply for Christ our lives will be in great conflict with all this world has in it. We are told that people will persecute us because of Christ in us. We are told to stand firm for that which the Bible commands us to stand firm. No hint of inclusiviness or tolerance there. We are told that when we stand firm that trials will come upon us and we may even be killed because of our faith. That's not simple. That's scary! Believing is wonderful and simple with a huge reward at the end of the journey. Believing isn't simple because we don't live in a simple world. Abandoning ourselves to Jesus gives us freedom in Him, not the world. Nothing is simple. "Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved." That instant is the last simple one of a life requiring contrary living. It's still worth living. Just don't expect to keep it simple.
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