Have you ever noticed that we tend to waaayyy over-complicate things?
It’s almost like we imagine the most difficult and complicated scenario and try to figure out what we would do in that case rather than simply doing the simplest thing in the situation directly in front of us.
Here’s an example from the Bible (note that I’m paraphrasing here).
Dude asks Jesus a question: “What is the greatest commandment?”
Jesus: “Interesting question. What do you think?”
Dude: “Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Jesus: “Good answer. If you can pull it off, you’re in good shape.”
Dude: “So, who is my neighbor? Who am I required to love?”
Jesus then goes on to tell a story that we know as “The Good Samaritan” where He essentially says to start with the person you see who needs to be loved and work your way out from there. Instead of over-complicating things and trying to figure out how far love extends, just love those in front of you and do what’s best for them.
It’s not that complicated.
This morning, I read my hymn text for today. It’s a great missionary hymn written by Charles H. Gabriel in 1890 for a specific missionary emphasis and offering on Easter Sunday at the Grace Methodist Episcopal Church in San Francisco.
The third verse stuck out for me this morning:
“Let us pray that grace may everywhere abound,
‘Send the light! Send the light!’
And a Christlike spirit everywhere be found,
Send the light! Send the light!”
As is my practice most mornings, I started looking for a photo so that I could make a graphic of those words to post on social media.
In thinking about the words “grace” and “Christlike” I was reminded of the once-popular phrase “What would Jesus do” that adorned t-shirts, plaques, jewelry, and coffee mugs in the late twentieth century.
An unexpected photo grabbed my attention. A kid in a soccer uniform was on the field. A man—either a coach or a referee—was kneeling down and tying the kid’s shoe.
It hit me right then—Could a Christlike spirit be revealed in something as simple as bending down to tie a kid’s shoe?
I doubt that’s what Charles Gabriel had in mind—and certainly shoe tying does not make a person a follower or imitator of Jesus. There’s much more to following Jesus than that.
But could a person who is a follower of Jesus demonstrate abounding grace by noticing simple needs and responding to them?
The question is not whether Jesus went around looking for shoes to tie. There’s certainly no evidence in the New Testament of that.
The question is—knowing what the New Testament does reveal about the character of Jesus—would Jesus give attention to a kid who needed help because he kept tripping over his untied shoe laces?
I know what my answer to that question is.
The amazing Christlike life to which we are called is not that complicated. Start with the simple needs in front of you by responding in love.
Then work your way out from there.
Be amazing today my friend.
