Simplify—Simplify
| Whosoever believeth in
him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16. |
Several years
ago I joined a group on a 10-day backpacking trip across the Sierra Nevada
range. Everything we needed—food, clothes, cooking equipment, tent—had
to fit in our backpack. Since the recommended load for a backpack is one
third your body weight, I needed to keep mine below 60 pounds.
I had been on several weekend
hikes before, but packing for 10 days is a far cry from packing for two
days. I had to keep reminding myself to simplify. No fancy meals—only freeze-dried
entrées that mix with boiled water. Not two coats to change into—just
one. Not three pairs of pants—just the one pair to wear. Not six sets of
underwear—just two. No extra shoes or towels. No books for evening reading.
Every item had to pass the test: “Do I really need this item?” A
friend of mine even cut off the handle of his toothbrush to eliminate excess
weight. What a difference it all made while hiking on the trail. Every
pound we left behind was a blessed relief those 10 days.
At times in my life I thought
salvation was too complicated—at least the way some make it appear. It
seemed as if reaching heaven depended on what I ate, how I dressed, where
I went, how I interpreted Bible prophecy, how I chose to worship, and on
and on. The simple formula of John 3:16 had become a 100-pound backpack.
But Jesus set the record
straight. In a stern rebuke, He declared: “Woe to you, teachers of the
law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s
faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are
trying to” (Matt. 23:13, 14, NIV).
Simplify! Simplify! Salvation
is not so complicated. The prophet Micah reduced it to three simple elements:
“To do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah
6:8, NKJV). Ah! Now that’s a load off my shoulders.
How could you simplify your life so
the load
you are carrying doesn’t weigh you
down? |
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