The K.I.S.S. Principle

It just all got to me today. Church ministry budgets that don’t balance, human needs for which I have no quick fix, a crazy mixed up world that seems to be getting more upside down recently – these things pressed in on me. “Why can’t it just be easy?” I whined to myself. Then the Spirit whispered, “Jerry, come back to your center. Simplify!” That center? “I am a beloved son of the Heavenly Father and with Him on my side, nothing is too hard.”

Do you know the K.I.S.S. principle? I'm not sure where it originated, but the concept is a GREAT! It's abrupt, maybe even rude. But, what the Spirit whispered to me was an expression of the that principle. K.I.S.S.

Keep It Simple, Stupid!

Our Christian life gets awfully confused if we turn it into long debates about doctrines, slogs through philosophical ideas, or doing enough for God in ministry, whatever that is.
Am belittling doctrine or wrestling with ideas to find the truth? Not at all.
Am I saying that serving God faithfully in our ministry for His kingdom is unnecessary? No, again!

I am reminding you and me that that the heart of the Christ life is relationship -- with God and with others. I have that on the best authority! Jesus Himself said, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’" (Matthew 22:36-39, The Message)

The Beatles (anybody remember them these days?) wrote a simple song, one their earliest, that proclaimed, “All you need is love!” They were on to something. I wonder if John Lennon, who penned those lyrics, ever read the Gospels? The song was a hit, but it only touched one plane of love - people’s love for people – which quickly fails without the primary love – loving and being loved by God!

The writer of the book of Hebrews spends 12 chapters presenting the superiority of the Gospel with carefully reasoned arguments and then under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he circles ‘round to to the K.I.S.S. principle in the last chapter: (13.1) "Keep on loving each other!" All our fine theology must change the way we live from selfishness to love. If we reduce our Christian faith to a set of ideas that conform to orthodoxy, but fail to love- it's all a waste! 1 Corinthians 13 reminds us, "Without love, your preaching is as edifying as a gong or noisy cymbal. The ability to speak lofty theology, the insight to grasp spiritual mysteries, even a mountain-moving faith -- is worthless!"

Those unbalanced budgets are still there. Questions about my competence are still nagging at me. But, there is one certainty born of the K.I.S.S. principle: I love God and He loves me! From that centering Truth, I gain steady footing that lets me deal with my life, ministry, and the tests that will keep coming my way until I am received into His Presence for Eternity. Friend, if you know that, you, too, can deal with the rest of the stuff! So, keep it simple today, OK?

Jesus loves me this I know,
For the Bible tells me so,
Little ones (and big people, too) to Him belong,
when they are weak,
He is strong.

Yes, Jesus loves me,
Yes, Jesus loves me,
Yes, Jesus loves me,
The Bible (and the Spirit in my heart) tells me so!