“The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” (Genesis 2:15-17 NLT)
Life seems complicated, confusing, and complex, and full of treacherous twists, trying times, and testing times. What happened to the simple life? There is not enough time, too much to do, too much do deal with, and too many decisions to make. What happened to the simple life? Trying to make progress, but we are pulled and sometimes pushed; often tossed and driven on this restless sea of life; forgetting to hold to God’s unchanging hand. What happened to the simple life?
We get in places where we cannot see our way through, can’t figure our way out, and when we want to get somewhere, amazingly we wander around in mazes not knowing how to get where we want to get to quickly. And we cry out, “Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.” What happened to the simple life? Money won’t go far enough. Food has to be stretched. Energy has to be consumed. Just clocked out on Friday, the weekend is too busy, and the workweek is soon resumed. What happened to the simple life? Where are the times when children respected and revered parents, times when children respected adults and the adults were behaving like adults and not children themselves? Did they forget, “When I became a grown person, I put away childish things?” What happened to the simple life?
We conform to the ways of a sin-sick society, not realizing the contagion factor and completely ignoring that we will be made sin-sick as well. We lust for affluence and positions of influence. Influence? Did we forget that we are to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world? What happened to the simple life?
We buy things we don’t want and don’t even need just to impress people and keep up with what other folks are doing. Look at morality, modesty, and the fact that more and more, not going to church is no surprising oddity. What happened to, “Be ye not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind?” What happened to the simple life? We get into role-playing instead of plainly being who we really are. We have a collection of masks that disguise us on the outside, hiding what really is deep inside us. What happened to the simple life. The homeless are saying, “Brother, can you spare a dime, and we think, “What’s mine is mine!” What happened to the simple life? Choices, choices, choices, yet we seem to be overlooking that there are consequences for good choices and bad choices. Seems like the latter choices are being preferred. Oh, how much simpler life would be if we realized that good outweighs the bad. What happened to the simple life?
It was simple from the beginning. What happened? Better yet, how can we bring healing to this land and return to the simple life? Perhaps the words below will help? Be blessed!
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King
I’m responding to the Simple Life. The last statement mentioned that perhaps the words below will help…I didn’t see any words below. I saw the title of yesterday’s meditation A Speech Lesson and a Suggested Stipulation. I will read that next. The meditation about the simple life reminds me how far we have moved away from God’s plan for us. We no longer value the fact that He woke us up this morning…it’s as if we expected that. We no longer look at our neighbor with compassion and empathy…it’s as if we are saying they have got to do for themselves. We no longer value the fact that Christ died for us while we were yet sinners…and we still are sinners. Wake up everybody, let’s get back to valuing that Jesus is real.
I will have to look at the posting. The words below were the closing scriptures. Thanks again. Now, let’s see if you get the responses. Smile!