img_1def5e9caf6c-1A thought occurred to me today. What if we lived a simple life in Jesus? By simple I mean what if we lived life on mission?

I believe that Jesus’ entire earthly ministry was summed up in these words from Acts 10:38. The king of the Universe went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil.

Jesus didn’t get caught up in fads, trying to be famous. He didn’t toil for significance or influence. He did not try to be heard. He simply lived to do good and to heal.

I look at my life and see a constant struggle. I want this. I want to do this. I want to go here. I wish I had this. Jesus didn’t live that way.

He knew every step He took into good, every person He healed was one more step toward pleasing Abba. He lived with mission and on mission.

Maybe if we would orient our lives around His mission, we would find that we don’t need a lot of the things we think we need. We would be satisfied with what we have and use what we have to accomplish much for the Kingdom.

Living a simple life is a powerful life. It is simply doing good, allowing Abba to use us to heal the oppressed and resting in Abba’s embrace every moment of every day.

That is how we were meant to live. I seriously doubt in Heaven there will be Iphone reveals and Instagram. I bet fashion will not matter or how much we have in the bank. The streets are gold!

I bet what will matter is the Lamb who sits on the throne and what He has to say about our lives down here in the trenches. Did we live a simple life of goodness or healing, or did we catch ourselves up in the haze of this world.

Starting a simple life is easy. Maintaining a simple life is hard! Every day we have to look away from the trappings of this age and look to Jesus.

We have to look to Him in our finances, our marriages, our relationships, our families and in our dealings with those who do not know Him.

All of the above areas are spheres in which we can do good and bring healing; even our finances. Each of these areas are realms in which the enemy of our soul attempts to catch us away with the spirit of this world.

The simple life is a journey that we must learn by unlearning the complex life. We must retrain or renew our brains to Heaven. I hope this short essay on simplicity will help you do just that.

Pastor Shane Creech