The Limitations of Simplicity.

I'm a long-time fan of simplicity. When I was in the U.S. Army many moons ago, I was introduced to the K.I.S.S. principle: Keep It Simple Soldier. We've all discovered there's great wisdom in keeping things easy to understand and simple to do.

I believe the pursuit of simplicity is an honorable quest. Simplicity in living, and simplicity in thinking. It was the 19th century scholar and American poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who offered, "In character, in manner, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity."

We should all praise the virtues of simplicity, but in the name of balance, we must also be alert to the limits of simplicity. What do I mean? Well, some things are just plain difficult to comprehend. Some subjects are more challenging than others. Algebra is one thing; multivariable calculus is something totally different! So, even though simplicity is one of my guiding principles, that in no way diminishes the fact that some things in life are hard, hard to comprehend and hard to convey to others.

I'm reminded of what the Apostle Peter said in reference to understanding Christian doctrine: "Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation - as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures" (2 Peter 3:14-16 NKJV).

Peter's confession that some of Paul's teaching is "hard to understand" should be an encouragement to us all! I mean, if the apostle found some things in the Bible difficult to comprehend, than we're in good company! Not all TRUTH is simple and easy to understand. It takes work and diligence to rightly divide the truth of God. Lazy thinking has no place in a mature faith. But alas, many people are willing to accept the teachings of their church or their denomination without the slightest investigation on their part. Jesus said to the religious leaders of his day, "For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men - the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do" (Mark 7:8).

Man-made doctrines are readily embraced in religious circles as the truth of God. Down thru the ages, men have added "MANY OTHER SUCH THINGS" to the commandments of God. But why is this the case? Part of the answer is we live in a world that's under the power of the great deceiver Satan. And, part of the answer is we're lazy thinkers, so we just accept what we're told. We don't want to do the hard thinking that's required to grasp the doctrines of God. We have grown accustomed to "easy to understand" Bible lessons and quick "drive-thru" devotionals. Serious contemplation on the things of God is foreign to most of us.

Few of us are willing to put in the tough mental effort in order to rightly divide the word of truth. Thomas Edison said, "Five percent of the people think; ten percent of the people think they think; and the other eighty-five percent would rather die than think." Are the practices of my denomination based to accurate biblical interpretation or man-made doctrines? Helen Keller stated, "People don't like to think. If one thinks, one must reach conclusions. Conclusions are not always pleasant."

Some things refuse to be simple. There are some truths that can only be understood in the light of other truths. In order to master many of the deeper precepts of the Bible, I must think on them long and hard! But I have to ask myself: Do I put forth the mental effort to search for God's truth as if I were searching for hidden treasure?

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. warned us: "Rarely do we find men [or women] who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think."

Simplicity has its limitations. So, "Lord, give me the discipline to kindly question half-baked solutions and simplistic answers. Deliver me from cloudy thinking, bias thinking, and lazy thinking. Grant me the desire and ability to engage in hard, solid thinking as I trust Your anointing to lead me in all truth from your Holy Word. In the name of Jesus I pray."

~ Grace, peace and Jahspeed!