We Need to Stop Making Things Complicated

Every week, I flit around and dust the windows.  It turns out that my mom is addicted to windows, so there are a lot.  But I'm addicted too.  I savor slipping to the glass and entering a new world.  Seeing the outside, the grey of winter, the way crisp grass catches the rain.

But when I'm dusting, sometimes I don't see that.  One particular windowsill is cluttered.  A dozen plants cling to the tiny frame, poking my fingers and hiding the dust under little pots.  I try to brush off the window, but the blinds are in the way.  From top to bottom, I have to dust every one.  And then sometimes there are more - hand-drawn pictures leaning against the glass, or smudges from dirt, or ladybugs that escaped the outside cold.

As I work, I forget about the transcendence of the window, and I see all the stuff in the way.  The smudges.  The clutter.

Last night, I realized something.  I do the exact same thing to Jesus.

Religion is complicated.

Honestly, sometimes it disgusts me.  All the wrong ideas of "do this" and "don't do that" are confusing.  When I read theology and dig deep into the complex structures, I often end up looking at the window blinds and missing the beauty of the window.

The blinds have a purpose.  They enhance the window, protect it, keep it cleaner.  But sometimes I just grab that little, dangling string and pull them up, out of the way.

I need to do the same thing with my walk with Jesus.  I get confused, discouraged.  All my emotions mix with things I don't understand, and I have this clutter in my life I can't escape from.  It's like I'm focusing on the tiny plants on the windowsill.  I see the cactus' spiny sides.  I touch them.  It hurts.  I bleed.

And I need to take a break, shove up those blinds, push the plants away, and just see the window.

Jesus.

That's what Christianity is.  Just Jesus.  Just loving Him, drawing close to Him, letting Him define my life.

I get consumed by what I do for Him.  And yet He wants to be my Best Friend, for me to draw near, to live loving Him.

We need to stop making things complicated.

I don't have some strong theological argument or persuasion, just this little spark that sometimes is stomped away by distraction's feet.  I want Jesus.  I love Him.  And that's enough for me.

Go study harder parts of the Bible.  Read those church fathers who write with long words that aren't in the dictionary anymore.  Dig deep, learn to defend your faith, know the ins and outs of what you believe.

But when the day ends, remember that it's not complicated.  If you're like me, stop making it confusing.

Find a psalm, read it, and find Jesus in it.

What I need sometimes isn't some elaborate sermon.  Instead, I read one verse, and it rings so true.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

- Psalm 23:1

My shepherd.  He knows what I need, how I fear, and lifts me in His arms to protect me.

Please don't make things complicated.  Just seek Jesus.  Seek Him through your ministry, through your Bible reading, through your prayer, through washing the dishes, through reading a book.  Don't let the clutter block you from seeing through the glass where Jesus defines your life.

Start with a psalm, and read it to find Jesus, not to read the story.

Because you're so, so loved.  And He wants to be your Best Friend.

   

He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name's sake.

- Psalm 23:3

~♥~