Simplify

Technology is supposed to make life easier; at least I think it is?? Anyway, I’ve been somewhat intrigued lately by a commercial advertising a new phone that is going to “save us from our phones”. So in essence we need more technology to save us from “technology”. Hmmmm…

It seems like everything, everyone, has gotten busier. I have to admit that on a typical evening in my home it is not uncommon to see 2 or3 laptops open, exploring the world of Facebook, EBay, or Amazon.com. At the same time we’re watching TV, talking on the phone or sending out a “quick text”. What ever happened to working on a puzzle, playing a game of checkers, or simply talking with one another? Doing the kind of things that both stimulate and relax us at the same time? And when we wake up in the morning often times the first thing on our mind is checking our email or returning to our favorite online social network. Technology has not made life easier; in fact, I would argue that it has made life more complicated.

Over the past 16 months I have been on the journey of starting a church, and it has been quite the journey! One week I can feel on top of the world while the next week I am asking myself “What else can I do with my life?” This past week was one of my most trying weeks thus far. By Sunday afternoon I was ready to raise the white flag, ready to surrender to defeat. However, it was there in that low moment that God gave me the word: SIMPLIFY.

Over the past year I have seen God do some incredible things in and through His people at Living Bridge. People have come to know Christ as Savior, marriages have been restored, families reunited, and addictions overcome. At the same time I have also seen Satan have the victory in people’s lives, their marriages, and their families. It is a constant battle and sometimes a soldier recovers from the battle only to be wounded again. The day to day spiritual battle has literally worn me down. The victories give me hope to stand, but the defeats keep knocking me back down. After so many blows it is often times tough to get back up and keep fighting.

When our church began things were fairly simple. Everything was done under the umbrella of keeping it “simple yet sharp”. However, as we began to grow so did the desire to “take things to the next level”, and over the past year we have done just that. A full band, big stage, offices, more small groups, more setup, more staff, more technology, more pipe and drape, all for the purpose of…? What?

Good question. And that is why I believe God put the word SIMPLIFY on my heart and mind this week. The mission of our church is this: “To Change the Way People think about Church by actually being the church”. I must admit that over the past several months I have strayed from the simplicity of our mission. I too have gotten caught up in wanting our church to grow and to be able to offer all kinds of cool ministries in and around our community. I want to network with other pastors, be someone that others respect and admire. Have a strong and respected voice in our community.

However, in my effort to be all things to all people, and to have a church of all things for all people, I have complicated the simplicity of our mission. As a result, our church is at risk of becoming status quo, stale, or possibly even headed towards a decline. Something had to change, and it did.

You see, I believe that God is not a God of confusion or disarray; He is a God of clarity and order. Everything He does has a purpose and His purposes and plans are always true, always right. He is a God is excellence, a God of strength, a God of direction, a God of peace. God is all of these things and more yet when I looked at our overall ministry picture, and myself as a pastor, I saw some things that were not of Him or from Him.

Let me give you this analogy… I have a habit of walking ahead of my wife and it really bugs her! It is so hard for me to walk with her because she walks so slowly. I am inpatient and I want to get wherever we are going faster than her. Walking ahead of her frustrates her and does not make the most of our relationship. I have to learn to walk beside her, even hold her hand. We will still get there and in the end we’ll both be happier.

It’s just as easy to walk ahead of God. “I want to get there now, do this, and do that”. Come on God! What’s the holdup??? In my haste I go ahead of Him, complicate things, and my relationship with Him suffers. The difference between my wife and God though is that God sees where we need to go and I can’t always see it. I can walk ahead of Him for a while but eventually I will end up off of His best path. And if I don’t get back to walking with Him, I may very well end up lost in a world of business, stress, and frustration that will eventually do me in.

Simplify…

And by simplify I mean this: Doing what God has called me to do, gifted me to do, given me the resources to do to fulfill His mission for my life and for His church. Simplify does not mean doing more than we are able and “cutting corners”. Simplify means that we focus on our mission, and use only what resources are necessary to accomplish that mission. If programs need cut, we cut them. If the worship service needs shortened, we shorten it. We don’t focus on what everyone else is doing in an attempt to be like everyone else. We focus on what God wants to accomplish and implement the best possible strategy to accomplish His mission. Nothing more, and nothing less!

So why did I begin this note talking about technology? Because just like technology, we can over- complicate our lives by trying to be an “all things to all people” kind of person or church. It can’t happen because we’re not capable, we’re not able. However, God is!

It’s time to get back to the simplicity of relying less on ourselves and more on Him. That is the simple life, and that’s where we’ll find peace, rest, direction… everything we need.

PCW