Keep It Simple Stupid

As a very wise fictional character by the name of Dwight Schrute once said, "Michael says KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid. Hurts my feelings every time." That'll be the theme of my blog tonight.

I apologize to my millions of readers for my lack of blogging once again. I'm not sure what's going on, but for the last three weeks, when I come home, I pretty much crash. I'm having a hard time staying awake. But today I felt a little better...I got out and mowed part of the yard after dark (which was quite difficult). So after a fresh shower, I'm ready to do some blogging.

So what's new with me? Well, for the last few weeks, I've been on a simplicity kick with my spiritual walk. Suppose for a moment that I didn't think about deep theological issues and didn't concern myself with how many minutes a day I was spending in the Word, in prayer, with my wife, not spending watching TV, etc. So I pulled out my audio Bible for my drive to and from work. Awesome idea. (I do recommend the dramatized version by the way.) In about two and a half weeks, I listened to the books of Matthew and Mark twice each and part of Luke. I'm getting a lot out of it. I decided to do each CD twice because I'm sure there are times when instead of listening to the Bible, I'm giving the finger to the guy next to me (exaggeration). Anyway, I want to focus on two verses tonight-- very simple in nature -- that have been running through my head for a few weeks now.

John 9:24-25 --A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. "Give glory to God," they said. "We know this man is a sinner." He replied, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!"

I admire the blind man here in this passage. Instead of concerning himself with what everyone else wanted to know (whether Christ was a 'sinner' or not, etc.), he keeps it simple. He was blind, but now he sees! If you read the entire passage, you'll notice that the Pharisees are concerned with many things such as how Christ healed him, whether or not Christ was a sinner, why the man was born blind, and on and on...but the only thing that really mattered to the blind man was that he could see - and when he saw Jesus, he believed. This is a fantastic story that we all should be able to relate to...when Christ opens our eyes for the first time after a life of living in darkness, we may finally behold him in his true beauty and believe. And the other things that can distract sometime don't really matter all that much. So one thing I've tried to focus on lately is simply Christ, the fact that I'm a blind man who can see, and what a wonderful gift it is. Now for the second passage...

Mark 1:40-41 -- A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, "If you are willing, you can make me clean." Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!"

No, I haven't come down with leprosy, but I made this into a prayer that I must have prayed 50 to 100 times this week. "Lord, if you are willing, make me clean." I believe that he is willing. It's obvious to me that I am not clean way too often, and now, in the spirit of keeping it simple, instead of trying to find the root of the sin or trying to identify the temptation that causes the sinful behavior (though I still recommend doing these things), I've decided to just believe that the Lord is willing, and I need to ask him to make me clean whenever I find myself rotten. Jesus probably had more compassion for this one leper than I've had on all the people I've ever encountered in my entire life. I would think that he could find a part in his heart to have compassion on a dirty and leprous sinner like me. Sometimes, all we have to do is ask.