We humans have a tendency to complicate things, don’t we? Maybe it’s because we don’t trust that something really is simple, maybe we’ve been burned by thinking something is simple only to find out there’s more to it than we thought, or maybe it’s because we just like to complicate things. Or maybe it’s just me.

When it comes to God, it’s pretty simple. When it comes to being saved, becoming a Christian, or going to heaven when we die, it is simple. All we have to do is believe, ask for forgiveness, and confess. Believe that Jesus is Lord, that He is the Son of God, who came to earth as a man, and lived and died for us, to rise again on the third day (as foretold by prophecy). In doing that, He defeated sin and death and made a way for all of us to belong to Him.

Like I said, pretty simple. But we tend to make it harder than it has to be. We create levels of sin, turn relationship (with God) into to-do lists, fail miserably at false expectations, and then get discouraged and wonder at our own lack of faith.

Yes, there are spiritual disciplines that will deepen our relationship with God, and we should make it a practice to do them, but we should do them with a willing heart. God wants us to want to pray to Him, to read His Word, and to spend time in worship.  He sees us and knows the condition of our hearts, and He loves us regardless.

When we feel like we fail as a Christian, it isn’t because God has made it so difficult. He hasn’t ~ actually, he’s made it simple. It’s up to us to keep it simple.

His grace covers us, His blood heals us, He loves us and desires a relationship with us, He’s alive and gives us hope for life (and afterlife), and all of this was done through an ancient instrument for torture…  the cross.