God Is All About Simple

Posted in , , By Patty Kennedy 1 comments


I really enjoyed Hannah Jones' recent blog about rest. It sort of goes hand in hand with my subject today: simplicity.

It blows me away that our huge God, who created a universe beyond our wildest imagination, is all about simplicity. It grieves Him to see His children running themselves ragged, living at breakneck speed, thinking that if we do more and get more and BE more, we will somehow be fulfilled. Sometimes we are so "busy" that we don't have time for God, and that is tragic.

Why are we all in such a hurry? Remember Jesus' admonition to us in Matthew 6:33? After He tells us to not worry about what we will eat or drink or wear, He says:
But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
There you have it. We are not to worry about anything, because God will take care of our every need (Philippians 4:13). In fact, that's what Jesus meant when He said we need to become like little children. Do children worry about what they're going to wear or where their next meal is coming from? Do they sit around and fret about whether their mutual fund is going to lose money? Do they worry that someone else is going to swoop in and take their job away? Of course not, because they're children. But the point remains the same: whatever is important to us is important to God. He tells us to trust Him like little children trust their parents to provide for them. Our part is to seek His kingdom and His righteousness.

Did you ever notice that a lot of the people Jesus took note of were what we might call "simple"? He cared not for the rich or famous. Instead, in the gospels our attention is drawn to:
  • the poor widow who gave all she had (Mark 12:44)
  • the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4)
  • the Good Samaritan (Luke 10)
  • the woman with the issue of blood who pushed through the crowd to touch Jesus because she knew He could heal her (Mark 5)
  • the men who dug a hole in a roof because it was the only way they could get their sick friend to Jesus to be healed (Mark 2)
As I read about these otherwise unremarkable people, I realize that though they were simple, they demonstrated great faith. Can you imagine being so determined to get your friend to Jesus that you put a hole in the roof of somebody's house? Can you imagine having been sick for over a decade and crawling through the crowd on your hands and knees, because you know if you can simply touch the hem of Jesus' garment, you will be made well?

Then there's the Samaritan woman. It was unheard of in Bible times for a Jew to even speak to a Samaritan, yet Jesus spoke to her. This woman always came to the well alone, because nobody wanted to acknowledge her existence. They knew her past, checkered with multiple marriages and sexual indiscretions. When she encountered Jesus at the well, she no doubt expected a lecture about her morality. Instead, Jesus instantly recognized her real thirst. She was parched not just for the water she drew out of the well. She needed a Savior. Jesus offered her compassion and a way out of her messed-up life, because He cared enough to look beyond what everyone else knew about her.

Jesus is not interested in how many church boards you are involved in, or whether you teach youth or give money to charities -- if you are not first rightly related to Him. Very simply, seek Him first. Trust Him to provide for all your needs. Come to Him as a child comes to a loving parent -- with no doubt whatsoever that your Father knows your every need, and has your best interests at heart always. Will His decisions  always coincide with what YOU would like to have happen? Probably not -- but remember He is GOD, and He really does know what is best.