It’s Simple but It’s Not Easy
Have you heard the phrase, “it’s so simple it’s hard” or it’s simple you are just making it difficult”? I have, I heard these two phrases a lot when I was in school. My teachers, especially my math teachers, would tell me I was overthinking the problem. I simply needed to work the formulas out. Formulas are simple, you just plug in the numbers and don’t worry about the why. That did not mean that working the formulas out was easy. To be good at working out the formulas you need to know the steps and what order to do the steps. (PEMDAS or FOIL) The older I get the more I realize following Jesus is simple, but it’s not easy.
Following Jesus is more like a math problem than I would like to admit to and maybe that’s why I’m not too good at it. WHAT??? I know, what a weird comparison. To follow Jesus we first have to accept that we are sinners, accept that we need a savior, accept that Jesus is our savior, and accept that he will guide us. So, where’s the formula and what’s the problem? How about we just look at the formula for a minute.
A+B+C+D=FOLLOWER of Jesus
(This is not an exact step to become a Christian)
A = Accept we are sinners
B = Accept we need a savior
C = Accept Jesus is our savior
D = Accept Jesus will guide us
Just like the math problem, we simply have to plug in the steps and once we do we become a follower of Jesus. The problem isn’t the formula, it’s the person working the formula out. We try to do things our way, because it make sense or we do it this other way because that’s how we were taught. We want to add our spin to the formula and we expect it to work out just like it would if we followed the steps in the formula. Let’s look at an Old Testament man who was given a formula, it was simple, but it was not easy.
“So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out.” (Genesis 6:14) God told Noah to build an ark, not only did he tell him to build it, he gave him the exact measurements for the ark. God, in a way gave Noah a formula. It was simple to follow, but that did not mean it would be easy to build. Noah had to work on this ark, when others doubted him. He had to know without a shadow of a doubt that God told him to build this ark, and he couldn’t worry about what others thought of him. I’m sure Noah struggled with the corruption of others, those who did not believe in God, and those that did not believe God spoke to Noah. Not only was his job one of strenuous, but he had to deal with people thinking he was a wackadoo. His task was before him, but would he allow what others thought of him keep him from completing the job? Would he follow the formula even if it didn’t seem to make sense to him? As a matter of fact, he did. “Noah did everything just as God commanded him.” (Genesis 6:22)
God gave Noah a formula, the measurements to build the ark, God has given us a formula, and measurements to build our faith in Him. Once we become a follower of Jesus, we need something to guide us. How do we know we are doing the right things? How can we know for sure that God has called us to do something for Him? What is our formula? The Bible is our formula. God gave us Jesus to follow, a guide to look to, and how to measure things out, which can all be found in the Bible. We tend to not look there for answers, because we think we know better or we can work it out based on what others have told us. Just like the math problem, we want to work this formula called life out our way, and not by the formula we have been given. Life is one big formula with millions upon millions of steps. How can we know we are working the formula the way God wants us to? By simply reading the Bible and applying it to our lives. Following Jesus is a simple decision that has to be made daily, but it is not easy. When you do this, you will know if you are plugging in the right steps for the formula, we call life. I will close with a verse from Isaiah, “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it.” (Isaiah 30:21) Until next time, “May Yahweh bless you and protect you” Numbers 6:24
