It is unlikely that many people approach their lives thinking, “I should make this more complicated,” yet, too often our decisions do exactly that. We want things to run smoothly and to be easier in many ways, only to find that it takes very little to make it all more complicated. Even the seemingly insignificant decisions and actions can come with a cascade of unintended consequences.

The biggest challenges to the sense of comfort and peace I desire are found in the things I own, and the engagements I accept. The “stuff” that collects in my house and in my calendar seems useful, even necessary, at the time, and later turns out to be a source of frustration and complication. As we continue to unpack our belongings, I find there are numerous things that have no home. These simple things take up space, filling drawers that could hold other things, and taking up valuable shelf space. Unpacking pens, refills, and miscellaneous office supplies filled several drawers that I now need to root through to find the items I need, and there are still more things that could go in the same space. I keep asking, “Why did I buy all of this? Am I ever going to use it? Will I remember where it is when I need it?” Useful items have suddenly become clutter.

My schedule can experience the same overload. It is easy to say, “Yes,” to invitations that I find attractive and meaningful, but it is also easy to say that to too many of them. Of course, it doesn’t take long to realize that each acceptance typically comes with preparation and a greater commitment of time than I expected. Unchecked, activities I love become burdensome and affect everything else in my plans.

I know I am not the only one who experiences such challenges. Things and plans embraced with good intentions quickly accumulate and become obstacles instead of opportunities. This is probably why the early church Mothers and Fathers placed such a high value on simplicity. The fewer attachments we have, the less the things of life can impede our journey. As we embrace the simple life, it is easier to find our focus and pursue it with passion, and in the process, we create space to commune with God.

The rich, young ruler who came to Jesus asking, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” was certainly not expecting Jesus’ reply. I imagine he was ready to take on a new task, or embrace something else into his life. Instead, Jesus called on him to release what he already possessed and follow him. The story ends with the man leaving discouraged. Letting go is hard.

Saying, “No,” is hard as well. There are so many wonderful, important opportunities around us, so many places to be involved and make a difference, yet we cannot do it all. It can be equally discouraging to turn down invitations we want to accept but, whether it is things or appointments (or anything else for that matter), anything that removes the simplicity from our lives also removes our peace and our effectiveness.

During a part of my education, while I had a full schedule at school, and a church I served part-time, a friend gave me a small cartoon. In that pre-digital meme, a woman is speaking to her exasperated partner, “Just remember, dear, Jesus loves you, and everyone else has a wonderful plan for your life.” I laughed, but I also winced, because much of my life was consumed by things that kept me busy, not things that brought real meaning to my life. I thought I could blame syllabi or others’ expectations for my full schedule, but that was not the true cause.

The real key to navigating these challenges comes in the realization that we set our schedules, and we choose how much we possess. We have the power to choose the simple life, or we can continue to make the same decisions that keep us cluttered and confused. We have the power to let go, and the authority to say, “no.” This is where a clear sense of vision and purpose becomes invaluable to our decision making process. When we have a clear vision of who we are and where we are going, we are able to make wise choices about what we allow in our lives. Just as we can choose to buy one more thing and take on one more task, we can also choose the simple life that accentuates the significant things while releasing the clutter and busyness.

Jesus offered some very sound advice to his followers. He said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and God’s righteousness, and all these other things will be given to you.” (Matthew 6:33) When we put God, and God’s agenda first, all of the other things of life will find their proper place. When we invert the process, we become overloaded and exhausted, and God’s great purpose for our lives gets lost in the mess.

Choosing the simple life is not easy, but the reward is great. To make the decision, we must let go of the need to own everything, and we must find our value in our relationship with God. It requires accepting the truth that our possessions do not make us important, nor does the level of activity in our calendar. Our value, our sense of worth, our identity will not be found in these places. Instead, we must come to know that our significance is found in the truth that God, “chose us in him [Jesus] before the foundation of the world, to be adopted as the children of God.” (Ephesians 1:4)

We matter because we are created in the image of God, loved by God, and made God’s children through Jesus Christ. With that knowledge, we can pursue lives of meaning, rooted in something much greater that the things people typically chase after. As a young woman I met in a poverty stricken community in Brazil once said to me, “We have everything because we have him.”

May the simple life of that truth call us and guide us as we live lives of destiny and purpose. May we throw off the things that weigh us down, so that we can run into the future God prepares for us. May we bind ourselves to God and find that the chains that hold us back are broken as we do. Maybe it is time to take our saturated schedules and our over-filled spaces, and trade them for the joy of simplicity.

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Worry, it affects us all at various times in our lives. Some experience it more than others, and its impact varies from person to person, but in every case, worry steals from us. It steals our joy, our energy, and our peace. The worst part is worry has no power to make any impact on our future situation. It only changes our present.

The late Corrie ten Boom said, “Worrying is carrying tomorrow’s load with today’s strength – carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows; it empties today of its strengths.”

During vacation, there was a sign just outside of my bedroom that read, “Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.” At first, I thought it belonged inside the bedroom, to be seen as you began the day, but as the days passed, I realized it was in the perfect spot, serving as a reminder before sleep that whatever worries consumed the day were already lost time, and carrying them to bed was only a prescription for lost rest. God willing, tomorrow would come, and no amount of worry would change the day in any way.

It was a powerful reminder for me each night. I tend to default to more worry than I wish I did. It is an area of growth I continue to pursue in prayer and action. That simple, wooden sign became a reminder for my evening prayers to relinquish tomorrow into the hands of God so that I could enjoy a peaceful rest and embrace a deeper trust in God to be greet me in the morning with all I needed for the day ahead. No matter what awaited me, fretting over it would not prepare me to overcome, it would only weaken my ability to meet the challenges in the strength of my faith.

The Bible repeatedly declares, and illustrates, the call to release our anxiety and place our trust in God. It is too easy to envision the negative possibilities that may arise, but far more powerful to contemplate the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit in us, and in our future. God is not surprised by the circumstances in our lives, nor is God fretting over the solutions to possible problems. God is the answer to those problems. If God is not worried, and the Spirit dwells in us, we are more than able to face whatever life brings our way.

Often, during funerals, I quote selected verses from John 14. One of the most powerful points Jesus makes is in the words, “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” These are deeply comforting words, but they were not spoken just for time of mourning. The peace of Christ is a promise for every moment in our lives. The very peace that sustained Jesus in the midst of everything he faced, is lovingly given to us so that we are not captive to fear, anxiety, and worry. With his help, we can be anxious for nothing.

God’s track record in our lives is perfect. When we look back at the things that once consumed us with worry, we can see the many times we came through. What we thought would be our undoing, is now a testimony of another victory in Jesus. The journey may not have been easy, but the result is no less affirming. God is faithful.

I would love to tell you that the sign I came to love changed everything, that I no longer worry and live in Christ’s perfect peace. I still have a long way to go, but that nightly inspiration was another reminder, another God-sign, inviting me to remember that when I worry, I am not to be anxious. Instead, I am invited to share my concern with the Savior and trust my future to him.

Today, is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday, but here you are. The possibilities are before you. Yes, the possibility of difficulties exist, but so do the possibilities of blessing. The potential for suffering is present, but so is the potential for joy. Best of all, whatever comes our way, we are not alone, nor are were meant to face it alone. The power of almighty God is with us.

So, let’s embrace this day. Let’s savor all the beauty it has as we allow our souls to be at peace with the very peace of Christ. Our worry will not help us, but God will. Above all, let’s not try to carry two days at once. We need our strength for today, not today and tomorrow. When we find anxiety creeping into our thoughts, we can turn our worry into a prompt for prayer,. As we pray, we can release our worry into the hands of God, and we can receive divine strength for moment we are in. God will guard our hearts, and the peace that passes all understanding will be given to us. It is a holy, and wonderful, trade, and it is ours for the asking.

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Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth. – Psalm 86:11a ESV

Recently, we experienced a major storm, one filled with lightning and thunder, and significant rainfall. The storm started while my wife and I were at a church meeting and continued for several hours. As we opened the doors to leave, we knew we would get very wet on our short walk home.

My wife was aware of some obstacles she noticed on the way to the meeting and reminded me to be careful. The problem… in addition to the heavy rain it was extremely dark. As we made the brisk walk to our porch, we both thought we knew the safest way home, but it was not the same way. This made for some humorous moments as we walked hand-in-hand trying to take each other in different directions. Soaking wet, and laughing, we made it back realizing neither of us knew for sure what we were doing.

While that night will remain a happy memory, it is true that not every path is so safe, nor is every journey lighthearted. There are places we must go and choices we must make that are far more significant where, if we are honest, we still feel like we are walking in darkness. We think we know where we are going, but it may be more accurate to say we hope we know.

In John 14, Jesus tells his disciples, “You know the way to the place where I am going.” The disciples, in a moment of honesty reply, “How can we know the way?” Jesus, recognizing their human confusion offers the greatest solace, “I am the way.”

The psalmist understood the disciples dilemma. Walking the right path, the way of God’s truth is not always easy, but we are not alone in our journey. There is help from the One who knows, and is, the way. When we remain in Christ, and allow him to teach us his way, our path is secure. There is no darkness too deep, nor storm too strong, to cause us to lose our way. The journey may not be easy, but following Jesus, we will not be lost.

We can try to find our own way, and we can let others pull us in different directions they believe are correct, but we may end up more lost than we were when we began, getting soaked by the powerful rains of the storm. We may end up running into unexpected obstacles, injuring ourselves or others. Yet, when we humble ourselves enough to admit that we do not know the way, we are then in a position to seek God’s direction; to pray, “Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth.”

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The Apostle Paul, writing to his protegee Timothy, encouraged him to hold fast to the truth of faith, for his sake, and for the sake of those he cared for. He wrote, “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching. For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.” (2 Timothy 4:1-5 NRSV)

It is so easy to fall victim to our itching ears, to surround ourselves with people who will always tell us we are right, leaving our thoughts and actions unchallenged. The comfort such a position brings is unmatched, but it also leaves us open to great deception. Navigating our path through life requires more than cheerleaders, it depends upon truth that allows us to see clearly.

A friend, who was a serious smoker, began to see the negative effects on her health. Her doctor began to point out the damage she was doing to her body, and continued to encourage her to take steps to break her harmful habit. Her response to the doctor’s concerns was a search for a new physician. After several attempts, she found one who was also a smoker and unwilling to confront the habit that continued to ravage her health.

That response is far from uncommon. It is all too easy to surround ourselves with people who think like we do, and distance ourselves from those who do not. Today, many join online groups, attend events, and surround themselves with voices that support their position, while unfriending and avoiding anyone who says what they do not want to hear. It seems that we would often rather think that we are right than to be right.

Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:32 NRSV) Real freedom does not come from believing what we want to believe, but from aligning our lives with the truth. Unfortunately, real truth will challenge our beliefs and behaviors. It will make us uncomfortable and direct us to change. It will not be easy on us, and may likely cause us to address places in our lives that are much deeper, and more substantial, than a bad habit. The truth will hurt, but it will also set us free.

As I recently told my congregation, if you are reading the Scripture, listening to sermons, and reading inspirational material, and you are never offended or uncomfortable, you are doing it wrongly. God loves us enough to tell us the truth, even when it hurts; maybe especially when it hurts. God does not take pleasure in our pain, but loves us so much that he is willing to lead us through that pain to the liberty that awaits on the other side of it.

Our itching ears may long to hear what we want to hear, but the real cure is the truth, and that truth will do more than heal the itch, it will set us free from what actually restrains us from living fully.

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I keep a small flashlight by the bed so that I can find things and get around without disturbing my wife as she sleeps. I noticed that the batteries were growing weaker, and the light a little dimmer each night, but I kept forgetting to replace them until I try to use it after we were in bed. It is no surprise then, that the last time I went to use it, the light came on, but was too dim to provide any help.

In Psalm 119, a psalm devoted to the importance of the divine teaching of the word of God, the psalmist declares, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (V.105) A few verses later, we read, “The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.” (V. 130)

The light we use to navigate our path will make all the difference in how well we find our way. The wrong light will have a significant impact on our journey. While there are many voices encouraging us to follow our own path, or to live by a substitute to the direction of God, there is no other source that can successfully lead us where we need to go.

Looking over the substitutes offered in place Of the word of God, I am reminded of a hiking excursion I took in college. Walking along the path, we passed a beautiful stream. The scenic beauty made the clear running water seem all the more inviting, and after all of the hiking, many of our group were ready to savor the refreshment it offered.

Our leader suggested we wait until we crested the next hill where would have better access. He was right, it was better, and clearer. In fact, it was in that clarity that we could now see all of the beaver dung at the bottom of the stream. The water no longer looked so appealing.

I learned a valuable lesson there: the source matters. The beauty of the stream, the depth of my thirst, even the popular opinion, were nothing compared to the source of the water.

The same is true as we navigate life. We need pure light to show us the way. It doesn’t matter how appealing or popular something is. What matters is, is it true? Just because something sounds reasonable, or loving, or nice, doesn’t mean it is truly any of those things. Just because it comes from a celebrity voice, or in beautiful words, doesn’t make it truth.

To truly see where we are going, and where we need to go, we need a standard that is beyond ourselves, something that reveals the way things really are, and who we really are, as well. Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32) Real liberty, real light, and real life, come from walking in the divine direction of the word of God. There is no substitute, no matter how enticing it appears.

The word of God is a treasure. It is a pure stream from which we can drink deeply. It provides refreshing for our spirits, and clarity for our minds. Indeed, it is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path. The more we allow the Holy Spirit to unfold it in our lives, the more we will be able to see by its light.

How do you allow the word of God to enlighten your journey?

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