Do you ever feel like life is just a little bit complicated? Or maybe like it’s a whole lot complicated? Jesus didn’t die so we could live complicated, frustrated, miserable lives. He died for us so we could have and enjoy our lives (John 10:10).
Maybe you’re like me, and you have a busy schedule. I love what God has called me to do, but when life becomes especially busy, it gets harder to manage everything and enjoy life the way I should.
However, I’ve determined that I’m not going to be frustrated or aggravated all the time—or allow my life to go by in a blur. And I’ve decided that I’m not going to just be “busy.” Instead, I want to be fruitful. So, I learned to think of my life in a new way, starting with the words “simplicity” and “simple.”
Breaking News. Spirit-Filled Stories. Subscribe to Charisma on YouTube now!
“Simplicity” means “single, consisting of one thing, unmingled.” The Bible tells us, “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:8, KJV). So, we don’t want to be double minded. Instead, we want to be single minded, because being double minded will complicate your life. You have to make your mind up to do something and go for it.
Similarly, the word “simple” means “sincere, with no duplicity, no hidden agenda, but having a pure heart, not complex or complicated.”
I believe the best way we can simplify our lives is by starting our day talking to God through prayer. The Bible says that the “effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16b, NKJV). We don’t need to sound eloquent when we pray or try to impress God in any way. He simply wants us to talk to Him as we would a friend. If you don’t speak in Elizabethan English during the day, you don’t need to do so when you go to pray!
It’s great to start your morning by having this special time with God, and I highly recommend it. But I think it’s even more important to pray your way through the day. The only way we’re going to keep life simple and be fruitful is to lean on God and talk to Him all through the day, asking for His help and involving Him in everything we do.
There’s a wonderful Scripture passage in Proverbs that says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Prov. 3:5-6, NKJV). One of the best ways to stay connected with God is to acknowledge Him in everything you do.
God’s plan for man is simple, and the plan of salvation is simple. There’s nothing complicated about God, and He doesn’t want us to be complicated. He says you will not inherit the kingdom if you don’t come as a little child (Mark 10:15); that is to say, we need to come to Him simply.
When life feels out of control, all we want to do is change it, but we can’t always do that. In fact, I think too often we spin our wheels trying to do something about a problem that we can’t change. However, the next time you feel overwhelmed, I want to challenge you to change the way you think about the problem and have a different attitude toward it. Make a decision to put your problem in God’s hands and trust Him to take care of it.
When things become complicated, I encourage you to look for ways to simplify your life. That’s the privilege for a believer. You can approach Him with simple, childlike faith (Matt. 18:2-4). Regardless of your situation, you can put your trust in God, keep life simple and not let your circumstances steal your peace. If you don’t let them bother you, they will have no authority over you.
Join Charisma Magazine Online to follow everything the Holy Spirit is doing around the world!
For more on this topic, order Joyce’s four-part teaching resource “Simple Prayer … Simple Life.” You can also contact us to receive our free magazine, “Enjoying Everyday Life,” by calling 800-727-9673 or visiting www.joycemeyer.org.
Joyce Meyer is a New York Times best-selling author and founder of Joyce Meyer Ministries Inc. She has authored more than 140 books, including “Battlefield of the Mind” and “Overcoming Every Problem” (FaithWords). She hosts the “Enjoying Everyday Life” radio and TV programs, which air on hundreds of stations worldwide. For more information, visit www.joycemeyer.org.
Please note: The views and opinions expressed throughout this publication and/or website are those of the respective authors and do not necessarily reflect those of Joyce Meyer Ministries.
