A Year of Choices…
By Barbara Dahlgren from Barbara’s Banter at www.barbdahlgren.com
In A.W. Tozer’s book The Pursuit of God he says, “Right now we are in an age of religious complexity. The simplicity which is in Christ is rarely found among us. Instead are programs, methods, organizations and a world of nervous activities which occupy time and attention but can never satisfy the longing of the heart.”
I think this can describe not only religion but almost every aspect of our daily lives. The world has created so many options it puts our brains on overload. Easy decisions have become complicated.
For example, just wanting a drink of water when we are out and about can be confusing. Do we drink tap water, artesian water, distilled water, purified water, spring water, mineral water, or sparkling water? Should it be plain or flavored? Let’s say we choose plain spring water. Should that spring water come from the mountains, from the valley, from Iceland, France, Italy or Germany? And don’t get me started on what container it comes in.
And just think of the options medical advances have made available. It’s now possible for a woman to freeze her eggs for future use. Some mothers have frozen their eggs for their infertile daughters. That means if a daughter uses her mother’s eggs and has a daughter, then the daughter she has would actually be her mother’s sister. Now that’s really complicated!
Most societal options were created to make life easier, but that is not always the case. Sometimes too many options leave us confused and make it difficult to make decisions.
Plus we live in a world of discontent because we are enticed into wanting more, more, more of everything. We think bigger is better and expensive is best. Basic needs such as food, shelter, transportation and clothing have segued into status symbols. Is it wrong to live in a big house, drive a fancy car, and wear designer jeans? Not necessarily – if we know those things don’t bring happiness and we can function just fine without them.
Sometimes less is better than more. Having less can help us focus on the truly important aspects of life without distractions. We can learn to appreciate beauty without a price tag. There is wisdom in this Thomas Fuller quote: “Better a little fire to warm us than a great one to burn us.”
Consider this… God’s pleasures are simple ones. Nineteenth century English preacher Frederick William Robertson puts it this way:
All God’s pleasures are simple ones;
the rapture of a May morning sunshine,
the stream blue and green,
kind words,
benevolent acts,
the glow of good humor.
God has much to say about simple pleasures such as enjoying each new day (Psalm 118:24), being content (Proverbs 30:8, 9; Hebrews 13:5), living in unity (Psalm 133:1), being kind (Ephesians 4:32), laughing (Numbers 22:25-31), delighting in children (Matthew 19:14), and appreciating nature (Isaiah 55:12). In fact God’s creation beckons us to marvel at majestic mountains, admire vibrant sunsets, smell fragrant roses, and calm ourselves beside still waters. You might say God did the hard work of creating all of this so we could enjoy these simple pleasures in life.
Suggestions for practicing this choice…
- Each time you see a happy, little child who is eager to laugh, learn, love, and forgive tell yourself: Jesus told me to become like little children. This concept, like so many God uses is simple, yet with profound meaning. (Matthew 18:3)
- Take some time every day to appreciate those simple pleasures in life that God created. American writer Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “The sky is the daily bread of the eyes.”
- Don’t try to muddle the simplicity of the message of Jesus. There are no hidden meanings, mysteries we can’t understand, or complicated doctrines. Jesus came to earth, he lived a perfect life, he paid the price for our sins by dying on a cross, and he victoriously rose from the grave. If we accept his loving sacrifice we, too, have victory over death through his gift of salvation. We either choose to accept the gift or we don’t. All other issues are peripheral.
- Don’t put yourself (or others) down by thinking you (they) are not worthy to be Christians because of lack of education. Jesus could have called the philosophers, scholars, and renowned teachers of his time to spread the gospel, but mostly he chose simple fishermen and ordinary people. (1 Corinthians 1:26, 27)
- Learn to use simple explanations when talking to others and to God. Don’t try to impress with your knowledge or vocabulary. Prayers don’t need to be long and eloquent, just heartfelt. Theologian Martin Luther said, sometimes …“the fewer the words, the better the prayer.”
