Echoed on the walls of tiny houses and whispered in gardens, is the popular word, and goal of many women: “simplify.” The complications of life have us longing for a simpler time in which the stresses of life were more manageable, less demanding, and allowed for a cup of coffee with a friend.
Many of our grandparents would agree that life was simpler a few decades ago, but I guarantee there were times when they were equally stressed or overwhelmed.
A “simpler time” is not based on a shorter to-do list, but rather on a humble attitude with which we approach our lives, our relationships, and our responsibilities.
I believe that the truly simpler time was when we were children... Someone else was in charge and we trusted that our needs would always be met. This is not an idyllic return to a perfect childhood. Instead, it is a reflection that Christ shared as a lesson to His listeners (Matt. 18:3-4).
3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
The humility and faith of a child is total dependence on others, on God. As adults, we learn to depend on ourselves or relive the frustration and disappointment of when we couldn’t depend on others because of their failings. We pride ourselves on how busy we are, how much we can get done, and even our efforts to be the best Christian (while we secretly know we never measure up).
In our effort to become more godly, we make ourselves the gods of our lives, trying desperately to be in charge, in control, to do it all on our own. Yes, we should imitate God and learn from His character, follow in the steps of His Son. But we must let Him be God. We are the child. He is in charge.
So, let’s make it simple: Humble dependence on God and faith that He is in control will usher us into a more simplified life.
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matt. 11:28-29)
My prayer for today: Lord, help me learn from you the ways in which you were humble in heart. I long for rest for my soul. I am weary. And taking your yoke upon me feels like one more burden, one more thing to add to my to-do list. You were God in the flesh. You had all the power in the world, yet you humbled yourself and became a man. You humbled yourself and let the Father always be in charge. Thank you for your patience as I learn from your humility. God is in control. I am not. In your name I pray these things, Amen.
#IronRoseSister, #simplify, #humility
Note: If you would like to explore this topic in a more in-depth way, I recently read the book Humble Roots by Hannah Anderson, which I highly recommend.