Finding Simplicity

Our society is high-paced and busy.  One of the most common measures of success is what we have accomplished.  Think about how frequently you get asked or ask the question, “what did you do today?”.  For many being busy has become a statement of pride.  There is satisfaction that comes in letting other people know that our schedule is full and we are in high demand.  Yet, somewhere in the middle of all the chaos, God is calling us to know Him.  Often our personal success by staying busy is the very thing that holds us back from following God’s call.

Several years back, I moved from a very demanding season of life, to a very calm and seemingly less productive season.  And to be honest, that transition was very hard.  I realized that my identity had become wrapped up in my job, my friendships, and all the things I was “doing for God.”  And in the quiet, I quickly became very uncomfortable.  During that season, there were some days when I was literally “bored to tears.”  I remember demanding from God to give me something to do, show me my purpose, and make my calling clear.

In the middle of my demands to God, God placed a verse before me.  This verse has marked my life and called me to a much deeper walk with God.  In Isaiah 30, God is talking to the people of Israel who are committed to do things their own way.  He warns them not to find their own solutions but to trust Him.  In verse 15, He tells them, “In repentance and rest you will be saved, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you were not willing.”  Wow – God had a good path for His people, but they were too busy with their own solutions to see it.

And if I am not careful, I am just like those people.  I want a detailed plan, a successful life, a productive calling.  But the life God desires is one of peace and dependence on Him.  When we find this life, we find inner strength and purpose that we could never find on our own.  God is calling us to find the simple path – the path of following His voice and His way.  Often this path will not meet the world’s measure of success, but it the path of life.

---

“There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” Proverbs 14:12