Keep It Simple

“Well,” the car mechanic squints while staring at your car’s engine, “it’s complicated.”

That phrase—“it’s complicated”—is often shop-speak for “we don’t yet know what’s wrong but we know it’s going to be super expensive.”

That’s a hard conversation, but it isn’t actually complicated. The mechanic just has to figure it out. And you’ll just have to pay. It may be the last thing you want to deal with and it might tank your bank account. But hard and complicated aren’t the same thing. 

Other times, there are so many unknowns that we don’t have any idea what to do. But even then, our next step isn’t complicated. We simply turn to God and ask him for guidance rather than relying on our own strength or wisdom. And that always works, because nothing is too complicated for God. He is the creator of all reality. He knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10). And he is really good at simplifying things. 

Jesus used parables rather than complex algorithms to explain the kingdom of God. He said all the teachings of the Law and the Prophets came down to just two things. Love God. Love Others. (Matthew 22:37-40). Paul talks about our “pure and simple devotion to our Lord.” (2 Corinthians 11:3 TLB)

Pure and simple is a good way to approach all of life…including decisions around your creativity. So when things start to feel complicated, pause and invite God right into the moment. Remember, he gave you your desires and talents as an invitation to pursue them together with him. Not to complicate things.

Even when we face incredibly hard times, his invitation isn’t complicated. Stay with God, follow his lead, don’t quit, and keep it simple.

This reading was crafted to encourage your pursuit of story and creativity with God. Your donation makes this crowd-funded initiative possible. You can support it via PAYPAL (or by check to Allen Arnold at PO Box 62841, Colorado Springs, CO 80962).

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