Life Hacks for Divine Simplicity
Sometimes, simpler really is better.
One year for Mother’s Day, I received a cute suede pen and notebook set as a part of a gift bag. The notebook was nice, but I fell in love with the pen and in true “writer-nerd” fashion I began to anticipate how pleasant future musings would be.
Then, it ran out of ink.
All that fancy and feel-good lasted a whole sixty-seconds, if that.
I spent more time basking in sensory overload from the experience than getting value from it.
Sometimes, simpler really is better.
Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;… ~Romans 12:12
Be joyful. Be patient. Be continuing instant (I’ll explain that one later).
What would life be like if we stopped seeking sensory overload and just focused on keeping our faith walk simple?
Be Joyful
Rejoicing in hope;…
Earlier this month, I discussed changing our perspective on joy:
Pain. Purpose. Promise. They can all be invaded by Jesus and his joy. That means loving and believing Christ regardless of what we go through gives us access to the unlimited and eternal satisfaction that comes with him.
Want more joy? Get more Jesus.
The Living Bible translates the rejoicing in hope portion of the text as be glad for all God is planning for you. It invites you to live in a state of anticipation about your future.
Your future. Yours.
You deserve the future God is planning for you, so keep it simple. Let joy in.
You will enjoy the journey much more when you kick “what if” to the curb and instead invite the Master to roll with you. Want more joy? Get more Jesus.
Be Patient
…patient in tribulation;…
Exercising patience can be more daunting to maintain but remember, it is an exercise. An exercise in perseverance. In stamina. In standing tall when you’re ready to fall apart. But you can do it.
It takes time to develop a good perseverance regimen.
Something that has helped me become more patient identifying what is my job to fix and what is Heaven’s job to fix. Once I have done all I can, I tell myself,
This is Jesus’ job, not mine.
Peace. Freedom. It all comes when we let go and let God, so keep at it.
Be Constant
… continuing instant in prayer;…
The normal path to explore in this portion of the text would be prayer, but it is the continuing instant that got my attention. The phrase represents the word proskartereo, a Greek term meaning to be strong towards. Constant. Continually steadfast. Always “instant” in prayer.
“Always instant” in prayer is not an action, but a state of mind.
It’s whispering to Heaven under your breath instead of being passive aggressive.
Thoughts of gratitude to the Savior when words won’t suffice.
Thanking the Father with a smile when his Spirit singles you out to bless you.
It’s asking God to cover you before sitting at your desk,
or taking on a new project,
or walking in the door after a long day.
Breaking prayer out of the prison of your prayer closet is maybe the best life hack of them all.
It’s simple, but it requires a shift in how you see Christ.
Stop trying to be deep. God is not asking you to be deep, he’s asking you to engage him in the fleeting moments of your life - good or bad. It’s that simple.
Stay constant. Stay accessible. Stay open. That’s life with Christ. Your Father in Heaven is a conversationalist. He will talk to you all day long but only if take him along for the ride.
The Life Hack of a Lifetime
Be joyful. Be patient. Be constant. Sometimes, simpler really is better especially with Jesus. It’s called communion.
com·mun·ion
/kəˈmyo͞onyən/
noun
The sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially when the exchange is on a mental or spiritual level.*
Want to know the great irony in my story about the pen? Today’s scripture was inscribed on it. That pen was never meant to write, but to teach.
I find joy in realizing something so mundane could speak life into me.
I found my patience, too, when I stopped limiting the pen to my expectations.
Most of all I love that God, once again, used the unexpected to make me smile and draw me nearer.
Yeah. Simpler is definitely better.
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