Oliver Wendell Holmes said, "For the simplicity that lies this side of complexity, I would not give a fig, but for the simplicity that lies on the other side of complexity, I would give my life.”
I believe that which makes things complex is the various levels of non-disturbance that we are trying to avoid…what will people say, what will people do, what will people think. So often we try to make our lives work through the expectations of others. We also try to make life work by having our expectations of others manifest. At either extreme, people pleasing leaves everyone wounded and disempowered.
The Bible counsels us to seek first the Kingdom of God and HIS righteousness…everything else will be OK. Making this commitment is essential. This is the settling into the truth that will make all other truths line up under the category of this chief aim. You measure everything else by this chief aim.
What is the simplicity that lies on the other side of complexity? It is about truth, honesty, integrity…being congruent with God and oneself. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. This is another scripture that is being validated by science. We have a brain/heart in our brain, heart, and stomach/gut. When congruent, these three help us be happy and healthy.
Simplicity does not mean easy. Sometimes the righteous thing is the hardest yet the simplest. If I am living a life of right-doing and right-being, it will be simple and yet it may cost you dearly. Sometimes, we do not even need to try to explain or justify our stand because most of the time people will not understand it. What fellowship does dark have with light? I was talking with someone in my office today about their own journey in this. She was saying that what she was trying to do with her life was basically confusing to others…and even sometimes to herself.
I find more and more people asking God their questions because they have come to terms with the business of wasting time trying to discuss it all with others who may not have the same foundation or chief aim as someone else. It is so important that you do not compromise that foundation. It is way too easy to try to create each other in an image that is not God.
As mentioned before, a room full of pianos will only be in tune with each other when they have been tuned to a Master piano. That happens individually. I cannot do your tuning nor can do do mine. It is a matter of relationship with God. It is sometimes frightening when some of our journey companions have a call on their life that maybe others are not ready for. We have to be selfless in this matter. The easy thing is to want to hold on to them…persuade them of our same path. We have to learn to support others in a way that is not self-centered. It can feel like our world of friends as we know it is threatened. Let them hold tight to themselves and you do the same. God will hold His arms around each of you, and I believe He will bring us to something safe in Him even if we have a different time table. Praise God.
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