I'm reading a book about the simple life. It's not a simple book. The more I read, the more convoluted the solution gets. In fact, I'm starting to realize that life is actually NOT simple at all. Life is a bowl of cherries, without the cherries. We work so hard to get what we think is going to make us happy, but we keep ending up with cherry stems in an otherwise empty bowl. There's always someone else who gets there first. There's always some other thing to do or some hoop to jump through. Nothing is new under this Sun, and all this activity is pretty much useless vanity.
I've heard it said that we are so much more than what we do, but from my perspective I've had enough of hearing how valuable I am.
I live my life. I know my screw-ups.
And so do you.
It's time to take off the costume we're wearing. It's time to dig down until we get to what lies beneath.
I'm convinced that we are guilty of using "activity" as a ruse to keep us and anyone else from seeing who we really are. This fast-food society we live in is our grand illusion. We say "look at what I'm doing!" but on the inside we are whispering "Please don't look at who I am". The church's divorce rates are the same as the rest of society. Our moral failings are rising. Our young people are leaving our congregation.
We've forgotten who we truly are. We believe we are still fallen, and we are acting like it.
I think this is why the Church at large is impotent. We are too scared to look in the mirror, repent of our failings, and then move into the truly simple life of Grace.
The enemy is among us, and he claims that Activity has replaced Identity.
Activity is our security blanket. We wrap it around us, and take solace in it when we are depressed. We crawl into it when we can't bear to look at our marriage. We add another layer when we feel the cold wind of loneliness in our relationship with God.
What's the first thing we say to someone's question of "How are you?"? I catch myself saying "Crazy busy!" What kind of answer is that?
We can be so busy . . . and so alone.
The Spirit of God states that Identity must replace Activity for our activity to be effective for the Kingdom.
I'm realizing that life is NOT SIMPLE, but I am.
I am simply a creation in the hands of an amazing Creator. So are you! He is molding us, individually, into what He plans for us. He wants to do the work. We just need to surrender to the plan.
What lies beneath all of these self-made layers we hide under? Maybe it's time for you to find out.
Take a break from your busy-ness and take a look in the mirror. God has a plan for you. It's simple, powerful, and effective.
© Copyright Derek Hickman 2010