by Joyce Meyer
It really wasn’t that life was so complicated, it was my approach to life that was so complex.
When I started looking for Scriptures on the subject of simplicity, I found only a few, but here is one that I did discover. It was part of a letter written by Paul to the believers in Corinth: But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ (2 Cor. 11:3 NKJV).
The Old Covenant was complicated. It was filled with regulations — do’s and don’ts. The Law was complicated in itself, but the complication was compounded by the fact that man was supposed to keep it perfectly, and he had no ability to do so. Not knowing that he was not able to do so, he continually struggled to do something that couldn’t be done without a Savior.
If you want to live a complicated, complex, joyless life, spend your time trying to do something that can’t be done!
Simplify Your Life!
The Apostle Paul had been given tremendous grace by Jesus and was commissioned to teach grace to the Jewish people. In 2 Corinthians 11:3, Paul was apparently concerned that even though some of the believers in Corinth had learned about the simple life, and were aware of the wonderful simplicity that was available to them through Jesus Christ, they were in danger of being deceived and losing that simplicity.
I would say to you that as you progress in simplifying your life, always remember to do as Paul instructed the church in Galatia: In [this] freedom Christ has made us free [and completely liberated us]; stand fast then, and do not be hampered and held ensnared and submit again to a yoke of slavery [which you have once put off] (Gal. 5:1).
If you are ever to live simply, you must be determined to gain your freedom and even more determined to keep it.
The second Scripture I found on simplicity is 2 Corinthians 1:12 KJV, and it connects simplicity and rejoicing: For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward. In this context, the word conversation means “conduct” or “behavior.”4
Here Paul was saying, “We have joy because we have conducted ourselves in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, which always includes a lot of reasoning, but we have lived by the grace of God.”
Nothing is more simple than grace.5
Simplicity or Complexity?
I used to wonder why there aren’t more Scriptures about simplicity, or why the Bible doesn’t talk more about it, especially since it seems to be a much needed and sorely abused subject.
The Holy Spirit showed me that the entire New Covenant is simple. It may not frequently use the word “simple,” but it is the essence of simplicity, as we see in God’s plan of redemption for mankind:
Jesus came and paid for our sins, taking our punishment upon Himself. He became our substitute, paid the debt we owed, at no cost to us. He did all this freely because of His great love, grace and mercy.
He inherited all the Father has to give and tells us that we are joint-heirs with Him by virtue of our faith. He has provided the way for our complete victory both here and hereafter. We are more than conquerors. He has conquered, and we get the reward without the battle.
I could go on and on, but I am sure you get the point.
How much simpler could it be? It is not complicated. We complicate it!
Complication is the work of Satan. When we return to and maintain simplicity, we are warring against him. He hates simplicity, because he knows the power and the joy that it brings.
I also looked for books on simplicity and did not find many of them either. I had to be very open to the Holy Spirit to teach me as I went. Usually, personal experience is the best teacher anyway. I began to systematically watch for times when I had no joy and then asked myself why. Often, I discovered that it was because I was complicating an issue. Here is an example:
Dave and I had an argument one evening close to bedtime. Dave is an easy-going man who has no problem just forgetting things and going on. We said what we both felt that we needed to say, and as far as Dave was concerned it was over and time to go to bed. He lay down and went right to sleep, and I went into my home office to try to figure out what had happened.
How had we managed to get into an argument? And, what could I do to be sure it never happened again?
We must be realistic—not idealistic. Realism says plainly that two people probably will not live together the rest of their lives in complete and total agreement.
Idealism says, “I am going to do this perfectly.”
Idealistic people usually do not enjoy life. They have perfect ideas about how things should be, and when they do not work out that way, they are disappointed.
I was determined that I would get myself an answer, and the longer I stayed up (supposedly seeking God), the more frustrated I became. Finally about one o’clock in the morning, I said, “Lord, what am I going to do?”
He answered and said, “Why not simply go to bed?”
Here is another example
Entertaining friends and guests in our home was something I wanted to do, but never really enjoyed in the end. As I opened my heart of God. He began to show me that I made a project out of it. I could make plans for a simple barbecue with three couples besides Dave and me, and, before it was over, turn it into a nightmare.
Much complication is born out of an ungodly need to impress people.
I was abused in my childhood and, as a result, I was very insecure about myself. People who are insecure normally strive to impress other because they feel not very impressive just being who they are.
When I entertained, everything had to be perfect—just the right food and drinks, the house immaculate, the yard manicured and all the lawn furniture spotless. All the children had to look like they just stepped out of a fashion magazine, and, of course, I had to have on just the right outfit, and every single hair had to be in place.
I worked so hard outwardly and inwardly before the event started that I was worn out by the time our guests arrived. Even their arrival did not put an end to my labor. I continued to work most of the time they were there—setting food out and putting food away, washing dishes and sweeping the kitchen floor so none of the crumbs would get tracked onto my carpets.
Then I would have resentment in my heart and quite often in my mouth, because it seemed that everyone else had fun and enjoyed themselves, and all I did was work.
Finally, I had to face the truth that I was creating the problem. I could have taken a much simpler approach. I could have grilled some hot dogs and hamburgers, heated up nsome baked beans and set out a bow of potato chips.
I didn’t have to buy steaks that we couldn’t afford, make potato salad that was a two-hour project and fix enough the side dishes to feed a small army. (I always wanted to make sure we never ran out of food so I always made way too much.) I could have made iced tea, coffee and lemonade, but I had to have all that, plus four kinds of soda pop.
I hope you’re getting the picture that in order for my life to be simpler so it could be enjoyed, I had to change. Life was not going to change; I had to change.
I strongly imagine it will be the same way with you. I suggest that you start to look for all the always ways that you complicate things and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you simplicity.
Simple Prayer
I felt that I was lacking real joy in my prayer life, and I discovered that much of it was due to a complicated approach.
First of all, I had listened to too much of what everyone else said I should be praying about. Most people are full of what God has called them to do and what He has anointed them for, and without even meaning to do harm, they get on their soapbox, so to speak, and attempt to get everyone doing what they are doing.
I was as guilty as anyone else in this area, until God got the point across to me that I have to do what I am anointed to do and let every
one else do what He has anointed them to do.
People told me I should pray about government issues — that the government was in such a mess and really needed a lot of prayer. Others said I should pray about abortion, AIDS or the homeless. Missionaries told me that it was missions I should be praying about. Some said I should do spiritual warfare, others said to confess the Word.
I heard people teach on prayer, and it seemed I always came out of those meetings with one more thing I needed to do while praying. People told me how long to pray — it should be at least one hour. People who were early risers told me it was better to get up and pray early in the morning.
Let me say that we will find ourselves praying about all of these issues and for the correct amount of time and at the right time of day for us, if we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in prayer.
I had turned all of my “instructions” from people into laws — things I felt I had to pray about. (If you have a complicated approach to the Word of God, it will all become laws instead of promises.) I finally cried out to God and asked Him to teach me to pray, and He taught me some wonderful things that have brought the joy into prayer that is supposed to be there.
First of all, the Lord taught me that I had to pray for what He put on my heart, not for what everyone else wanted to put on my heart. He showed me that I had to pray when He was prompting and leading, for the length of time His anointing was present to do so. He made me see that I would never enjoy prayer if I was in the lead; I had to allow Him to lead me.
The Lord also taught me that I should approach Him simply. This is a very important point. Like any good father, God wants His beloved children to approach Him simply and gently. Somehow I had gotten into doing a lot of yelling in prayer, and although there may be a time for an aggressive tone of voice, I was way out of balance.
I learned that I was not to multiply words and phrases over and over, which we have a tendency to do in order to make our prayers sound impressive. Why can’t we learn to simply state our need, ask for God’s gracious help and go on to the next thing?
The Lord showed me that instead of praying loud and long, I was to say what was on my heart and believe that He heard me, and that He would take care of it His way, in His timing.
As a result of what I learned from the Lord about praying, I developed my faith in what I call “the simple prayer of faith,” as described in James 5:13-15:
Is anyone among you afflicted (ill-treated, suffering evil)? He should pray. Is anyone glad at heart? He should sing praise [to God].
Is anyone among you sick? He should call in the church elders (the spiritual guides). And they should pray over him, anointing him with oil in the Lord’s name.
And the prayer [that is] of faith will save him who is sick, and the Lord will restore him; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
Sometimes when I simply present to God my need or the need of another individual, it seems in my “natural man” that I should do or say more. I have found that when I pray what the Holy Spirit is giving me, without adding to it out of my own flesh, the prayer is very simple and not exceedingly long.
My mind wants to say, “Well, that’s not enough.” Our flesh generally wants to go beyond what the Spirit is giving us, and that’s when we are robbed of the enjoyment that each thing is supposed to bring.
Let us say that a parent comes to me and asks me to pray for a difficult child. I say, “Father, we come to You in the name of Jesus. I am placing a prayer cover over this family. I ask You to bring them back together. Bring unity between this parent and this child. Whatever the problem is, Father, I ask You to remove the things that need to be removed, and to bring forth the things that need to be brought forth. Amen!”
This kind of prayer is short and simple and really says everything that needs to be said, but the flesh wants to add to it. The carnal mind says, “It’s not long enough — not eloquent enough.” It required real discipline on my part to go as far as the Holy Spirit was going and no further.
Keep prayer simple, and you will enjoy it more.
Children are always good examples to follow when searching for simplicity. Listen to a child pray, and it will radically change your prayer life.
Simple Desires
Sometimes our desires torment us and keep us from enjoying life. There is a myriad of things that we want, and if we are not very careful, we will strive in the flesh to get them and lose our peace and joy. When we do not obtain the things we want, we get frustrated and upset. It would be much better to simplify our desires than to struggle continually trying to get things.
James 4:2 states, … You do not have, because you do not ask. Ask God for what you want and desire and trust Him to bring it His way when the time is right. In the meantime, be content with what you have. (Heb. 13:5 KJV.)
There are two ways to be fulfilled: By working to acquire more, or by learning to desire less. I have learned that the more things that are acquired, the more time is necessary to take care of them. A lot of joy is lost because people have too many things and those things control them.
Occasionally, I go through my house and thin out my possessions. I do not enjoy my home when I collect too many things I don’t really need. There is always someone who can make good use of the things I no longer feel are a blessing to me.
The more cluttered your home is, the harder it will be to keep clean. “Clean it out” occasionally, and it will not be nearly as difficult to “clean it up” on a regular basis.
The psalmist David wrote, Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart (Ps. 37:4). Seek God first, desire Him more than anything else, and you will find that He will bless you with what is right for you to have.
If you are unhappy and have lost your joy because of something you desire but don’t have, I encourage you not to allow that desire to dominate you. Whatever you do have, you should be in control of it and never allow it to control you.
Suppose a man has a job in which he makes a lot of money so he buys a lot of things — a home, two cars, a second home at the lake and a boat. Then something happens in his company, and he loses his high-salary position.
Say this man secures another very nice job — one that is actually less stressful and more personally satisfying than his previous job, but which pays less. In his new job, he can live nicely on his salary, but he won’t be able to maintain the lifestyle he enjoyed on his previous salary.
This situation represents a crossroads place of decision for this individual. He can go out and land a second job to increase his income, or he can try to cut back in other areas in order to reduce expenses.
For example, he might decide that he can no longer afford to take his wife out twice a month as he has done in the past. Although this practice has been very healthy for their marriage, he might decide that the expense is not justifiable so the evening out can be cut from the budget.
In that situation, the obvious thing (at least to me) would be to sell the lake home and the boat. Or perhaps if the boat was very expensive, to sell it and buy a smaller one.
My point is that people are more valuable than things. Peace and joy are more valuable than things. If this man chooses to take a second job in order to maintain the things he owns, he might no longer be able to go to his children’s ball games or be there for his wife and family when they need him.
Of course, there are times when having two jobs becomes a necessity for an individual. I am not bringing judgment on anyone who works two jobs, but I am suggesting that all of us need to judge our motives. If something is done out of necessity, it is approved, but not if it is done out of greed.
Many people today are stressed out beyond anything a human being was ever meant to endure, and much of that stress is caused by living in an affluent society that seems to yell continually “You must have more!”
Sometimes I want to yell back, “Stop the world and let me off!” But that only happens when I
start letting things and people control me when I should be allowing the Holy Spirit to control my life.
If the Holy Spirit says that something is good, then do it, but if He says no — out it should go.
Always remember that everything you own brings increased responsibility. If you get a bigger house, you will have more house to clean. A bigger car will require more gas. Two cars will mean double insurance.
I heard a gentleman say recently that when he was younger and only had two suits, he never had any stress trying to get dressed for meetings or packing for a trip. The more prosperity he gained in his closet, the more complicated it became to get dressed. Now he has so many clothes to choose from that he no longer knows what he wants to wear.
God wants us to be blessed. His will for each of us is prosperity and abundance. But looking at the fun side of possessions without looking at the responsibility side leads to deception. Getting more things can be fun, but when the fun is over, those same things can be used by the enemy to steal our joy.
Fun is based on what we are doing and getting. Joy comes out of the spirit and often has nothing to do with outward circumstances. Let me give you an example from personal experience.
Recently, a water pipe began leaking in our family room ceiling. The ceiling had to be opened up in two places, which of course was messy. It was not a good time for us. It was close to the holidays, and we were getting ready to leave town for ten days right before Christmas.
The same day, I also discovered that an error had been made on our previous year’s income taxes, and we were going to owe some money and have to pay some interest and penalties to cover a mistake that was not even ours.
I did not give much thought to either of the situations. We hired someone to start working on the ceiling, and we trusted that we would have what we needed to pay the taxes when the time came. We even said, “You never know what God may do, He is awesome and works the impossible … maybe this year we will be getting enough back to cover what we owe from last year.”