Sunday, January 17, 2016

Simplify Your Life

*|MC:SUBJECT|*

Simplify Your Life


We humans seem to have a tendency towards complicating even the smallest issues of life. This may be traced all the way back to the Garden. God had placed man in Paradise and gave a very clear mandate with "easy-to-understand" instructions. Of course, as most of us know, man was not content simply eating from the Tree of Life. Instead, Adam chose to eat the one fruit that was off-limits, and from that point to the present, things seem to have gotten very complicated. Today, this is evident in the lives of far too many people, particularly the children of God.

Mankind has a propensity towards complicating life. This is most evident in regard to religion. The Lord never intended Christianity to be as hard to understand and experience as many make it out to be. A brief study of the “Sermon On The Mount” illustrates this point quite succinctly. However, we often seem to worry about the things Jesus tells His followers NOT to worry about. We habitually seek that which we do not need and ask for things that can never satisfy.

This is not to say that we should abandon ambition or fail to have a vision, for without vision, we will wander through life aimlessly. Certainly, we are to plan and set goals along the course of our journey. These things ought not be cause for frustration.

The point is this: believers are instructed to be content no matter our circumstances.

"Now godliness with contentment is great gain" (1Timothy 6:6).

The combination of godliness and contentment has tremendous benefits!

Paul continues to elaborate on the topic by explaining how seeking to have the world’s riches can lead us to be driven with lust and may even result in ultimate destruction. Please understand, I have taught on God’s prosperity for over thirty years. It is most definitely God’s will for His people to prosper and have good health.

However, when we place possessing the world’s goods above experiencing His presence, we can soon lose the benefits of the Kingdom (righteousness, peace, joy in the Holy Ghost). Our lives can become twisted, no longer in proper alignment with God’s will. Peace may escape us, and joy is no longer available to give us strength. As a result, we are not “walking in the Spirit,” but rather become slave to the flesh (carnal attributes that are contrary to God).

Apostle Paul reached a station in life wherein he wrote, “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.”

One of the keys to contentment is found in simplifying our lives. Stop worrying about things that you really have no control over. Weed out the stuff that is no longer necessary. Evaluate relationships. Invest in things or people worthy of your time, money, and energy. First and foremost, if we will seek God and His Kingdom, all the "things" will be given to us. Seeking God and His Kingdom must become our priority and driving force.

Take time to examine your life. Is there any clutter? Are you seeking the world’s goods above those of the Kingdom? Are you giving thought to things that really do not matter? Are your priorities in right alignment with God?

As we begin a new calendar year, may it be a season of simplicity for the people of God. May we stop allowing the world, the enemy, and people to bring clutter and/or confusion. Let’s focus more on things eternal and less on the temporal.

"Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5).

Grace & Peace,
pg

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