SCRIPTURE: The Lord protects the simplehearted. Psalm 116:6
THOUGHT: Did you know that complexifying is actually a thing? It is an acquired skill for making things more complicated. I say acquired skill because I don’t think we’re born with it. Sometimes it’s handy – if you’re a security analyst trying to code encryption it would be a good skill to lean into. But sometimes, it’s just plain unnecessary.
Sadly, I have quite a bit of experience with the art of complexifying things. Before I throw the whole thing under the bus, I should acknowledge that it’s likely part of what helps me think and write, so redemption is at work. But being overly-complicated has also been rough on my spiritual growth and life; it’s likely been hard on all my relationships. It’s led to a lot of confusion and ambivalence about what God has made simple and clear.
To get to the point, the Lord protects the simplehearted. All my (or your) complexifying is likely a strategy for self-protection. It’s about never wanting to be wrong, or embarrassed, or seen as naïve, or painted into a corner where you don’t want to be. It’s about not trusting. It’s about trying, in your own strength, to protect the vulnerable parts of yourself – the parts that have been hurt before. Like a cybersecurity expert creating increasingly complicated layers of code, we seek to evade the hackers.
Perhaps without even meaning to, we try to do God’s job for him.
There is relief in just laying down all the complexity for simplicity of heart and mind and body. Laying down the self-protection and allowing trust for God to be the most important thing in life. So, I don’t know if this is your struggle, but if it is, I know from experience you’ll find some peace too in trusting that the Lord protects the simplehearted.
PRAYER: Oh God, thank you that it’s your job to protect those who simply trust in you.
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Blogger Amy Clemens is the author of Walking When You’d Rather Fly: Meditations on Faith After the Fall. In it she explores childhood sexual abuse and how it impacted her faith (or lack thereof) for four decades. You’ll find not only her story, but better yet, the Big Story of God.
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Oh boy, did you hit the nail on my head…my complexifying head. This is a good way to start 2024. less control, more trust. Thank you!
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Good to hear I’m not alone, Jerry! 🙂 Happy new year!
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So good and so true for me! Thanks for be ‘real’ and blessings to you and yours!
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Thank you, Sue! So appreciate you and pray for a good new year for you and yours. 🙂
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Thank you, Amy, for this truth! I married a “complexifier” and have always thought it was rooted in self-protection. As you said, that is God’s job, not ours; and the sooner we learn to stop chasing our tails, the sooner we will be free.
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Hi Leslie, what a picture that is of chasing our tails vs. freedom. I do think that’s the exact picture of so much of my life before I was broken of it! Good to hear from you. 🙂
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