Simple and Easy
I like watching golf on television. Seeing those amazing players hit that little white ball down the fairway, I think “that’s so simple.” Swing the club, hit the ball and it flies 200, 300 yards straight down the middle, right?
It’s a simple thing: swing the club, hit the ball, but if you’ve ever golfed, you know it’s not easy. Those golfers practice hours each day over the course of many years to gain the skills displayed each weekend. They have coaches and take lessons. When they make a bad shot, they might practice it several hundred times the following week to correct the flaw in their swing.
We often use simple and easy interchangeably, but in fact, not everything that’s simple is easy. The Christian life is one such thing. We can boil following Jesus down into his most simple command “love one another.” (John 13:34) That was translated into the little song that says: “they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love.” Love is the defining characteristic of the Christian life, and it is also one of the most challenging things to practice.
It's easy to love those who love us, but what about those who don’t? What about the people who have hurt us, those who disagree with us or are even mean and hostile? Christlike love isn’t just loving the people it’s easy to love.
It takes practice to get good at loving the way Jesus loved. When we forgive the small offenses that are part of everyday life, we build the spiritual muscle that enables us to forgive the big offense. Seeing people through the lens of compassion instead of judgement builds spiritual muscle. Refusing to label and dismiss people, listening, resisting arguments and asking for forgiveness are all practices that help us develop a more loving heart and soul.
Loving others is simple if not always easy, but it is the way of following Jesus.
Peace,
Bill+
