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"The Simplicty of our Complexity!"

Our Quote for Today:

"I love the Truth that comes from simplicity.  Only the Truth makes free.  That's pretty s imple!" 

"I just don't know how I am going to do it!"  "I just don't know what to do!" "Now what are we going to do?!"  "How am I supposed to do that?!"  "Theirs is just no way!"   

Good morning!  I confess that those are some of the phrases I have probably said in the last week or so.  If I haven't said them, I probably thought them!

Everyday things happen that leave me in difficult positions.  When my walk with God is strong, I am more apt to rest in Him and trust that He has everything under control.  This simple confidence "in Him" positions me to better yield to His faith in difficult situations; rather than my self-righteous doubt. 

 Likewise, I have learned that my problems are more complex, when my walk is weak and I am having daily "bouts with doubt".  At this stage, His faith is no longer being exercised.  I thus find myself dwelling on my circumstances as found in paragraph one.  

 Do you think that our biggest problems are complex to our God?  Of course not!  My God is so big, so strong and so mighty; there's nothing that our God cannot do-for you! When I worked at Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers as a teenager, our trainer taught me something I now know as a basic cliché' spoken in most training classes everywhere.  It's the acronym K.I.S.S. 

It means "keep it simple, stupid!"  It was a creative way to challenge trainers to keep their information short, understandable, applicable and useful for the trainee.  This would allow them to comprehend it and more importantly to retain it more readily.

Do you know that God did and does the same thing for us?  He wants the Christian life to be simple.  The word simple is used three ways in the Bible.  First and most often, we see "simple people" mentioned in the book of Proverbs.  A "simple person" is "naive and knows nothing".  This is not something on which to be proud.  It's not bad to be simple.  It's bad to remain simple, especially if it is intentional.  If you are capable of learning the "simple truths" of Christ, but unwilling to listen or meditate upon them, then you will remain a simple minded person and your spiritual growth will be hindered as a result. 

Secondly, we see we should be "simple concerning evil".  God wants us to "be or become" naive when it comes to the things of this world.  If you are simple concerning this evil world, then reject the world and stay that way!  If you are no longer simple concerning evil, then neglect the world and you will become simple again.  For the world is becoming more and more complex as it ages.

The third way we see this word used is when discussing the Christian life.  Paul tells a very confused church in Corinth not to be deceived by the alleged difficulty of Christian living.  "But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ."  (2Corinthians 11:3) 

Paul knew it was Satan that would lead believers astray into delusions of difficulty.  When minds are corrupted with "how, what, when and where" when facing difficult circumstances then thoughts become confused.  God is not the author of confusion.  He is the Author of simplicity.   We need to realize our life is IN Christ and the question is not "how, what, when or where?"  The answer to all questions is "Who"? 

We should not look for simple answers to complex problems. 

We need to simply look to Jesus and for the "simplicity of our complexity".     

Have a blessed day IN the Lord!   

Steven Curington

Please partner with us in our SUPER SCRUB WASH-A-THON! 

• We can reply to this email with a phone number or our personal information and it will come to my address and I will call you to get your pledge and personally thank you.  Or,

• We can call my secretary Liz at 815-986-0460 ext. 100 and she will take your pledge.  Or,

• We can go to our website and post a credit card pledge to this event.  that link can be accessed by clinking on these blue words. Super Scrub Investment  Make sure you put my name down (or another staff or students name if you so choose) as the person your supporting with this pledge. 

Please help and please pray for this event.  Over 150 students and staff will be participating in the all day event to wash these 1,000 cars. 

Thanks so much for loving us and our work on His behalf. 

Bro. Steve