Keep it Simple, Stupid!

Keep it Simple, Stupid!

Making life complicated is a special ability commonly exercised by adults of all ages, especially prevalent when under pressure. Otherwise known as ‘storm in a teacup syndrome’. This condition presents itself primarily as a situation with a simple solution, that is quickly exacerbated until it reaches a storm size of epic proportions, of which magnitude the world has never seen, and all outcomes point to certain disaster.’

Does this sound like you? We may not all operate on this level of drama, but I am convinced that the ability to is in us all! Often it is in these moments as our emotions are spiraling out of control that the simple solutions evade us.

Both my husband and I started out in ministry as children and youth workers. One of the most valuable lessons that I learned during those years was to keep things simple. There is only so much information that a person can receive at one time, and the simple solutions are usually the most effective. In our zeal and enthusiasm, the temptation was there to teach everything we knew in the 30 minutes we had available. Not only did this not work well, it was boring, and bored kids stop listening. After a baptism of fire (being thrown into the deep end on the mission field), and ‘trial by teenager’ (finding out that you aren’t as prepared as you thought you were), we scrapped the carefully laid out curriculum that our team had spent months preparing and sought the Lord. What did the Lord say? ‘Keep it simple, stupid’. In other words, refocus and have fun.

Our ten step discipleship plan went out the window, along with the crafts, dramas and coloring activities designed to reinforce the key scriptures we wanted to emphasize. Hopelessly out numbered and overwhelmed, it didn’t take us long to realize that the kids sitting on the dirt floor in front of us were not going to behave in the same way as our Sunday school class back home. They climbed the walls, the tin roof above us, devoured the weeks supply of candy on the first night, and couldn’t read regardless if we had light to read by or not because they were unschooled and hungry. What they needed most was to be loved and fed. That week we learned from those children, that the love of God changes lives through the simplest acts of human kindness.

Keep it simple, stupid! Have fun, eat candy, play games, laugh a lot. When we keep Jesus at the center we are keeping the main thing, the main thing!

Matt 22:37-40

 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Our relationship with Jesus is what enables us to love and live with those around us. The love of God is still the most simple and profound truth. As we start to grasp this we begin to take ourselves less seriously. God’s love for us, and in us eventually finds its way through us to others. We become the channel of peace in a world of craziness.

Isa 26:3

You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.

As I am writing this today, I know that there is someone who feels like their life is out of control. Turmoil, uncertainty and drama have followed you and there appears to be no clear way forward. This word of encouragement is for you. Jesus, is the peace that you are looking for. It’s a good day to refocus and refire! Keep Jesus the main thing. Keep it simple, stupid!

Don’t Be Lion Bait, Take Yourself Off The Menu!

Don’t Be Lion Bait, Take Yourself Off The Menu!

When our kids were little, before the conveniences of hand held electronics we were their entertainment on car rides! To pass the time we used the standard variations of i-spy until we all became bored, and then Ashley created a new game. It was called Real or Fake? The object being to learn the difference between what was truth and what was make believe. Eventually, the question arose ‘Is the devil real or fake?’

After a moment of deep thought our then four year old, Hannah, exploded with her new found revelation: ‘the devil is real but his weapons are fake!’

To this day that is still the most profound description that I have heard on the power of the enemy!

Many Christian’s struggle to find the balance between recognizing that there is a real spiritual enemy operating in the world today, while not giving him so much credit for life’s wrongs that he ends up getting way too much attention.

Colossians 2:13-15

 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,  having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.  Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

The devil is real, but scripture is clear that he is defeated. Jesus disarmed satan’s power when he rose from the dead and the truth is, that he no longer has any power to operate in our lives as believers. When we trusted in Jesus we changed Kingdoms and entered into all of the benefits of a new covenant.

Col 1 :12-14

giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,  in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

Through this covenant we can enjoy forgiveness, healing, prosperity, deliverance, peace and protection. That is not to say that the enemy, the thief won’t come looking to take them from us! In fact, the only reason a thief comes sniffing around is because you have something that he wants! If healing and prosperity were not ours, then he would not be after them.

John 10:10

 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly

The only real weapon that loser has left is deception. If the thief can convince us out of what is already ours, he gains a foothold in our life. He has no rights anymore to operate in our life and no power to do so, so don’t let his lies deceive you.

1 Peter 5:8

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

The devil is nothing more than wanna-be toothless lion. Jesus, stripped him of his power and made a public spectacle of him. He doesn’t even have the power to devour us, he has to have our permission: seeking whom he may devour. Like a lazy bear looking for an easy picnic basket, he is wandering around waiting for an opportunity.

This is good news! It means that we don’t have to be afraid of the enemy, because he has already been defeated! He is the original biggest loser.

Refuse to be lion bait today, take yourself off his menu!

My Healing Testimony: Carlie Terradez