I listened to myself that day. I was whistling, humming, making melody in my heart, and yet I had two big problems in my life at the moment.
Joy is in your heart, and if you won’t fill your head with the problem, joy will bubble out. When it does, it will minister to you.
In our case, the pipe got fixed and the mess cleaned up, the holes were patched and the ceiling repainted. Someone who did not even know about our taxes gave us a financial gift that covered what we owed on our taxes with enough left over to pay for the vacation we were going on.
Don’t let the devil steal your joy because of concern about things. They can be replaced, or done without — but to be alive and not enjoy life is a great tragedy.
The Simple Approach
Remembering the definition of simple as “easy,” let’s take a look again at Jesus’ words as recorded in Matthew 11:28-30. I would like for you to notice how often the words “ease” and “easy” appear in this passage:
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]
Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls.
For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good — not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.
First of all, Jesus said, “Learn of Me.” I believe He meant, “Learn how I handle situations and people. Learn what My response would be to any given circumstance, and follow My ways.”
Jesus was not stressed out or burned out. He was not controlled by circumstances and by the demands of other people.
In John 14:6 He said, I am the Way. His way is the right way — the way that will lead us into righteousness, peace and joy. Remember that in John 15:11 He prayed that His enjoyment would fill our souls. That is not going to happen unless we learn a different approach to life and its many different circumstances.
I could write about various things that we need to simplify, and the list would be endless, but if we can learn to have the simple approach to everything, that is far better than learning to be simple in some things.
No matter what you face, if you will ask yourself what the simple approach would be, I believe you will be amazed at the creative ideas you will have.
The Holy One lives in you and although He is awesomely powerful, He is also awesomely simple. The Holy Spirit will teach you simplicity if you truly wish to learn.
I feel my purpose in writing this book is to help people enjoy the life that Jesus died to give them. I know that is impossible without simplicity. I do not feel that I need to teach you all the specifics of simplicity. I believe I am to convince you that you must have it. I want to stir up a hunger in you for it, and help launch you into your personal quest for it.
We are all very different — unique — by God’s design. What is complicated for one may be simple for another. That is why it is best for me to teach you the principle and let you find your own road to the destination. When faced with a problem or circumstance, simply ask yourself, “What would Jesus do in this situation? How would He handle it?”
You will find many times that you are trying to handle something Jesus would leave alone. Sometimes I want to confront an issue, and I will hear the Lord say, “Leave it alone.”
On the other hand, there will be times when you want to leave something alone and not deal with it, but when you listen to your heart, you know that you need to handle it before it grows into a worse mess.
Sometimes you will want to be part of some exciting thing that is going on, and God will tell you no. Other times, you may prefer not to be involved, and yet the Lord will say, “I need you in this.”
You and I will not always or even usually know the “why” behind all of the Holy Spirit’s leadings. But simplicity obeys promptly. It is complicated to disobey and have a guilty conscience. Disobedience truly steals the enjoyment of life.
God may tell you no about something at one time, and then at another time allow you to do it. There are no rules except to follow the Word of God and the Spirit of God.
Simplicity and Decisions
But above all [things], my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath; but let your yes be [a simple] yes, and your no be [a simple] no, so that you may not sin and fall under condemnation.
James 5:12
Doublemindedness is confusing, yet decision-making can be simple. After making a decision, stand firm, let your yes be yes and your no be no.
I believe indecision and doublemindedness not only bring confusion and complication, but, as James noted, they also cause condemnation.
If we believe in our hearts that we should do something and then allow our heads to talk us out of it, it is an open door for condemnation. We often labor over decisions when actually we just need to decide.
When you stand in front of your closet in the morning looking at all of your clothes, just choose something and put it on. Don’t go back and forth until you feel that you don’t like anything in your wardrobe.
When you get ready to go out to eat, pick a restaurant and go. Don’t get so confused that you feel there is no one place that will satisfy you.
Sometimes I would like the coffee from restaurant A, the salad from restaurant B, my favorite chicken dish from restaurant C, and so on. Obviously, I cannot have it all, so I just need to pick a place and go. Once the food is in my stomach, it doesn’t matter where it came from anyway.
Start making decisions without worrying about them. Don’t live in fear of being wrong. If your heart is right and you make a decision that is not in accordance with God’s will and end up going astray, He will forgive you, find you and get you back on course.
Peter was the only disciple who walked on water because he was the only one who got out of the boat. You may remember that he walked on the water for a while, and then he began to sink and Jesus reached down His hand to him and lifted him up. (Matt. 14:22-32.) Jesus did not leave Peter to drown just because he had done fine for a while and then made a mistake.
Once you do make a decision, don’t let self-doubt torment you. Being doubleminded and never deciding anything is complicated. Doubting a decision after it is made will steal the enjoyment of everything you do.
My husband does not mind shopping with me at all, which is a blessing because most men do not enjoy shopping. He gives me a reasonable amount of time to make my choices, but if I go back and forth too many times, he starts wanting to leave.
He says, “Do something. I don’t mind being here if we are making progress, but just wandering around and never making any choice is a waste of time.”
That does not mean that it is wrong to take a certain amount of time to look things over and search for a good bargain, but if looking and searching go too far, decision-making becomes complicated. Keep it simple. Buy something and move on to the next thing.
I can really get into doublemindedness when I am shopping for other people. At least, I feel that I know what I like, but I am not sure about them. Often I search for the “perfect” gift to the point of losing valuable time. I have done that with my children. Even after all my special effort, they returned what I bought for them.
So, once again, keep it simple.
Just Do It!
Whatever the problem or situation, decision is always better than doubt and indecision.
For example, if you have had a quarrel with someone, it is much easier to decide to apologize than it is to stay angry and be filled with unforgiveness, bitterness and resentment while you are waiting for the other person to apologize to you. Be a peacemaker, and you will have a lot of joy.
I spent many years making war, and believe me the price I paid was high. It cost me my peace and my joy and sometimes my health.
Jesus has a way, do i
t His way and enjoy life.
My husband has always been quick to forgive, and he expects me to be the same way. I can remember him saying to me, “You may as well decide to forgive me now, because this time next week you won’t be mad any more and if you forgive me now, it will keep you from wasting all that time.”
Indecision wastes a lot of time, and time is too precious to waste. Become a decisive person, and you will accomplish a lot more with less effort.
No one learns to hear from God without making mistakes. Don’t be overly concerned about errors. Don’t take yourself too seriously. You are a fallible human being, not an infallible god. Learn from your mistakes, correct the ones you can and continue being decisive. Don’t fall back into a pattern of indecision and doublemindedness just because you are wrong a few times.
If you feel that God is prompting you to give something away, do it! Get it off your mind. Take some action and sow the seed. If you believe it is right, then do it. That is how you will find out for sure. Devote a reasonable amount of time to waiting on God. Don’t follow fleshly zeal, but do follow your heart.
Don’t be afraid of yourself! You will not be the first person to make a mistake, nor will you be the last.
The fear of failure keeps thousands trapped in indecision which definitely steals joy and complicates life.
Don’t be afraid to make a decision and then follow through on it.
Just do it!
6
Childlikeness
And He [Jesus] called a little child to Himself and put him in the midst of them,
And said, Truly I say to you, unless you repent (change, turn about) and become like little children [trusting, lowly, loving, forgiving], you can never enter the kingdom of heaven [at all].
Whoever will humble Himself therefore and become like this little child [trusting, lowly, loving, forgiving] is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 18:2-4
In Luke 18:17 Jesus expressed this same message about the spiritual importance of being childlike when He said, Truly I say to you, whoever does not accept and receive and welcome the kingdom of God like a little child [does] shall not in any way enter it [at all].
As we see, The Amplified Bible translation of Matthew 18:3 states that the defining attributes of a child are: trusting, lowly, loving and forgiving. Oh, how much more we would enjoy our lives if we operated in those four virtues.
Children believe what they are told. Some people say children are gullible, meaning they believe anything no matter how ridiculous it sounds. But children are not gullible, they are trusting. It is a child’s nature to trust unless he has experienced something that teaches him otherwise.
One thing we all know about children is that they enjoy life. A child can literally enjoy anything. A child can turn work into a game so he is able to enjoy it.
I recall asking my son to sweep the patio when he was about eleven or twelve years old. I looked outside and saw him dancing with the broom to the music playing on the headset he was wearing.
I thought, “Amazing! He has turned sweeping into a game. If he had to do it — he was going to enjoy it.”
We should all have that attitude. We may not choose to dance with a broom, but we should choose an attitude of enjoying all aspects of life.
The Child in All of Us
Every healthy adult should also have a child in him. Each of us starts out in life as a child, and as we grow up, we need to protect that child within us.
Satan is always out to kill the child, which is why he put it in Herod’s heart to issue an order that every male child in Bethlehem two years old and under be put to death. Because Herod was frightened of the newborn Christ Child, the King of the Jews, Whom the Wise Men had come from the east to see and worship, he wanted to rid Himself of Him. (Matt. 2:1-16.)
I find it interesting that Satan was afraid of a child, and that a child was the King of the Jews. Kings rule, and perhaps the lesson here, at least in part, is that if we desire to rule and reign as kings in life (Rom. 5:17; Rev. 1:6), we must also become like little children. When we become childlike, it frightens the devil just as the Christ Child frightened Herod.
From Revelation 12:4,5 we can see how Satan seeks to devour the child from the time it is born:
His tail swept [across the sky] and dragged down a third of the stars and flung them to the earth. And the dragon stationed Himself in front of the woman who was about to be delivered, so that he might devour her child as soon as she brought it forth.
And she brought forth a male Child, One Who is destined to shepherd (rule) all the nations with an iron staff (scepter), and her Child was caught up to God and to His throne.
Of course, these Scriptures are referring to Jesus, but I believe there is a principle here from which we may learn.
Like many people, I was abused in my childhood. Satan did not wait until I was an adult to try to destroy me — he started early.
Children are not able to protect and defend themselves. And Satan, acting as a bully, often attacks those who seem powerless to fight back. The devil desired to destroy me, mentally and emotionally, as well as to prevent me from ever fulfilling God’s plan for my life. He stole my childhood through sexual, verbal, mental and emotional abuse.
I grew up in a dysfunctional home where alcoholism, violence and incest were prevalent. I did not like being a child. As a matter of fact, I hated it. To me, childhood meant being pushed around, taken advantage of, controlled and used. I was very anxious to grow up — it was my predominant thought. I lay in bed many nights and thought about how it would be when I was an adult and nobody could control me.
My plan was to grow up and never allow anyone to hurt me ever again. Of course, this meant that I could not trust anyone, and I had to take care of myself. I did not have the character attributes we listed for a child — trusting, lowly, loving and forgiving. I also had no joy or enjoyment of anything. I occasionally had fun, but never knew any real joy.
I became a workaholic and was driven by the need to succeed. I carried a false sense of responsibility that never allowed me to enjoy anything. I did not know how to do my part and allow others to do theirs. Nor did I know how to let God do His part by trusting Him.
Because of my insecurities, coupled with a determination never to “need” anyone, to me work became an idol. It made me feel that I had worth. I thought God would bless me if I worked real hard.
The Word of God does say that as His beloved children, God will bless us in all that we undertake. (Deut. 28:8.) But we are never to derive our sense of worth and value from what we do. We should know who we are in Christ Jesus, and our work should have value because we do it, not the other way around.
In his book, The Rhythm of Life, Richard Exley wrote, “There is not enough success in the world to quiet the discordant voices within. Self–esteem is not the by-product of achievement, but the natural consequence of a healthy relationship with one’s parents, peers, and, of course, God. It is a matter of who you are, not what you have done.”1
Work is necessary, and it is good, but if it is exalted to a place in our lives that it was never meant to have, then the good thing becomes our enemy. We often think the enemy is our friend.
I thought work was my best friend. It gave me a feeling of “belonging,” as I said previously — a feeling of worth and value. Actually, it was my enemy because I was out of balance.
In The Amplified Bible version of 1 Peter 5:8, the apostle warned, Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times, for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour.
Areas that are out of balance in our lives are open doors for the enemy. He stalks around looking for these doors. We Christians are often busy fighting demons when what we actually need is the restoration of a balanced life.
In my own case, I needed to work, but I also needed to play. However, I saw no value in play. I act
ually did not even know how to properly enter into play as an adult, and truly enjoy it. Even when I did fun things, I always had a vague feeling that I really should be working. I actually felt guilty when I tried to relax or enjoy myself.
My experience in growing up had been that I might get in trouble from my father if I was playing, but as long as I was working, my behavior seemed acceptable. I can remember times when as a child I would be outside playing, and Dad would call me to come inside. It seemed that for no reason, he would just make me stop playing. I understand now that unhappy people are irritated by other people enjoying themselves, but I did not understand at the time. I always thought, “I must be doing something wrong.”
“He Restoreth My Soul”
He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him — not for my earning it, but] for His name’s sake.
Psalm 23:3
I believe that God promises restoration of what is lost or ruined.
I can verify that He keeps His promises.
The Lord has restored my emotions and my mind. My will has been delivered from rebellion. I no longer need to control. I am led instead of being driven — led by the Holy Spirit instead of driven by fear and insecurity.
In my book, Beauty For Ashes,2 I share in detail how this process of restoration was accomplished in my life.
My heavenly Father has also restored my lost inner child. In other words, now I can trust, love, forgive, live with simplicity in my approach to life; and I am free to enjoy what I do. I no longer have to justify fun. I know it is an important part of life and necessary to maintain right balance. I purposely try to enjoy everything I do. I determine to do so.