The Simple Truth by Sarah Jennings, Crosswalk.com Family Editor
Abide in me, and I in you. As the
branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can
you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides
in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can
do nothing.John
15: 4-5
I like
complexities. Nuances excite me. It’s why I loved studying English Lit as an
undergrad. Picking apart brilliant passages by some of the greatest writers,
holding them up to view them from every angle, and uncovering the hidden layers
fueled me.
Yes, the
mind can be a great thing.
And yet it isn’t
the highest thing. I’ll never forget an exchange that occurred in one undergraduate literature class that went something like this. A student,
frustrated that a book like the Bible could have any meaningful contribution to
society, began to argue that humanity would be just fine throwing the Bible out
and living off plain logic.
My
professor responded to his tirade matter-of-factly: “Oh, so you worship the
mind.”
Confused
the student replied, “What? I don’t worship anything! I'm an atheist. Didn’t you hear me? I
said if we just use our brains and think logically, we’ll be able to create a
peaceful and happy society.”
“Yes, I
heard you. You are saying you see the mind as the highest source of Truth. That
nothing exists above it. And that through the use of our brains, we will obtain
all the answers we seek. Yes, that is a clear case of mind worship.”
I don’t like to admit it, but I have to say I’ve
fallen into the practice of “mind worship” more than once in my life. It’s not
necessarily purposeful. Faith Editor, Shawn McEvoy,
and I have had several conversations about how much we love to over-complicate
life by over-thinking it. Have you ever spent hours trying to solve the world’s
problems by anxiously mulling, analyzing, examining, agonizing, and exhausting
yourself mentally? If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably lost more than a
few nights of sleep thanks to a racing mind. It's amazing how quickly we can feel overwhelmed with life.
Accepting
that the most profound truths are often the simplest ones has relieved me of
some huge mental burdens. And better yet, these simple truths originate from a
source much bigger and more knowledgeable than our muddled minds.
In the
verse above we see that Christ is the True Vine and we are the branches. Apart
from Him, nothing is possible.
No amount of brilliant thought, good works, or shining accomplishments will
give us the answers we seek or lead us to eternal life. On the flip side, a
life that is brief, or broken, or seemingly normal is filled with eternal
significance when united with Christ.
So how do
we “abide” in Christ? Once again, a life dedicated to Christ can be a very
simple one. We can:
-- Pray (communicate with God) daily.
-- Worship weekly (at Sunday service)
-- Read God’s Word (Scripture)
-- Develop virtue (strengthen those
character traits that reflect God’s goodness)
-- Eradicate sin (confess and abandon
those character traits that don’t reflect God’s goodness)
-- Serve those in need.
Intersecting Faith & Life:Does life feel like it’s spinning out of
control? Are you overwhelmed with decisions or juggling too many
responsibilities? Get back to the basics. Rededicate your life to the Source of
life and focus only on what pleases Him. You’ll be amazed at the spiritual
fruit.
