K.I.S.S.

I am a firm believer that we Christ followers have the knack of making things far more difficult than what they need to be.  You see, lately I have had some pointed conversations with individuals of the what they thought was the most important thing a person could do during their spiritual walk.  Some said that reading the bible on a daily basis was vital.  Others stated that prayer was at the top of the list.  And still others claimed that service was the key to a strong spiritual life.  To all of them my reply was, "No."  All of the things I heard; along with obedience, sacrifice and worship, are important but they are not the most important thing according to Jesus.  Jesus said that all of those things are good but without love it is all worthless.
The Apostle Paul penned an entire chapter on the importance of love (1Cor 13).  Jesus uttered the word love countless times during His ministry here on earth and said that loving Him and loving others was the MOST important thing any of us could EVER do (Matt 22:35-39).  Ultimately, it was God's love that sent Christ to the cross at Calvary...and that same love kept Him there (Lk 23:34).
Some may argue that yes, love is an important thing but it is not the only thing...to them I say this...if you take  your child to the doctor and they are diagnosed with a illness or disease it is likely that the physician will give you an list of options in which to cure your loved one.  Now my question is this, do you want to do several good things and hope for the best would you rather do the BEST thing and know that your baby will get better?  In my book one best thing always trumps several good things.
Bible reading, music, service, prayer...all are important. All bring us closer to our Savior and HELP to cultivate a deeper relationship with Him.  However, it is high time that we Christians learn how to live our faith lives by the acronym K.I.S.S. We need to Keep It Simple, Stupid.  Love God, love others...simple.  Otherwise our prayers will be powerless, our praise empty, and our reading fruitless...and that's just stupid...