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...

What's the point?

For most people, especially Christ followers, reading the Bible is a significant action.  It is a source of comfort, instruction, and of knowledge. Moreover, to those who desire to have a deeper relationship with God, it is a way in which God speaks to us. But, I want to say something that may be unpopular and upset a few folks...
Sometimes reading the Bible, particularly the Old Testament,can be anywhere between difficult to downright boring! (There, I said it!)

I mean, with all of the begets and all of the sacrifices...a journey through the book of Leviticus or Numbers can be, at best, the source of dismay rather than comfort for many a Christians and, at worst, a source of confusion for someone who has not yet entered into a relationship with Jesus.  Especially, when you compare some of the more "technical" books from the Old Testament with the exciting stories found in Exodus, Samuel, or Nehemiah.

That is of course, until we realize God's purpose behind His word...

God has a reason for every chapter, every paragraph, every sentence, every word in His love letter to us. The reason is Jesus.  Everything in the Old Testament points to the birth, the life, the ministry, the crucifixion, the death, and the resurrection of Christ in some way, shape, form or fashion.  Every "beget" is to help us appreciate the ONE birth...every sacrifice designed to remind us of THE sacrificial Lamb, the setting of every law purposed to show us that Christ came to FULFILL the law and set us free...thank God!

So, the next time you're reading your bible and you are in a particularly difficult chapter and feel yourself getting bogged down and bored remember...the ultimate reason for every word written is now sitting on the right hand of God with nail scarred hands, nail scarred feet, and a pierced side...and He intercedes for us because we are as important to Him as the smallest word in His Word should be to us....

Who's schedule are you keeping?

We are creatures of habit.  We love schedules. Time lines and deadlines drive us.  And none of these things in and of themselves are bad...except when it comes to our spiritual lives and our relationship with God. 

I mean have you ever tried to squeeze in some time with God?  What usually happens is that rather than focusing on the Creator of the universe, we focus on the time.  Rather than worshiping the Master Builder we concentrate on getting "at least 2 chapters in".  We lose the closeness...the intimacy that God so desires to share with us.

Now, don't get me wrong...I am a huge supporter of time management and truly believe that we must schedule our days in order to be productive...but, how do we schedule time with the One who is timeless?  Can you imagine standing before God and saying, "Oh, I would have spent more time with you Lord, but You know how it is...I had meetings to attend...a schedule to keep."  Sounds rather ludicrous doesn't it?  Yeah, I think so too.

Schedules...we have them, and probably will continue to have them until we are united with the BrideGroom.  But, let's take a step back from time lines when it comes to spending time with Jesus...rather than writing that particular item in our planners, let's just go...sit at our Master's feet...and bask in His glory without worrying about time...from there our schedules will work themselves out...by His grace, according to His plan and in line with His schedule.