RETURN TO THE SIMPLE GOSPEL - by Karena Lout

Last Saturday, we continued our journey through 2nd Corinthians, focusing on chapter 11:1-4. Paul was feeling burdened because the church was beginning to listen to false teachings and forgetting the simplicity of the gospel. This is something I can relate to. I was eighteen when I first heard about Jesus. I finally felt deeply loved and free for the first time in my life. But over time, I started to hear mixed messages and began to forget all that Jesus had freely given me, the joy of my salvation. I easily fell into religious thinking because I was looking for someone (or a system) to tell me what to do to feel okay. I grew up without a lot of boundaries or rules and felt I had too much freedom which led me to a very dark place. Of course, we need boundaries and an effective justice system but it’s when we feel we need to follow a set of rules to earn our way into Jesus’ acceptance that gets us off track.
 

 “I am trying to help you and make things easier for you and not make things difficult, so that you would have undistracted devotion, serving the Lord constantly with an undivided heart.”
1 Corin. 7:35 (TPT)

 

“Set your gaze on the path before you. With fixed purpose, looking straight ahead,
ignore life’s distractions. Watch where you’re going. Stick to the path of truth and the road
will be safe and smooth before you. Don’t allow yourself to be sidetracked for even a moment
or take the detour that leads to darkness.”
Proverbs 4:25-27 (TPT)

  
The world around us can be a very noisy place. The more we get quiet and still, we learn to discern His true voice. Consuming too much news, opinions, social media and others’ voices (even if they’re good) can begin to cause traffic in our mind and in our heart. We want to stay engaged and open to the world around us but not absorb it all where it begins to cloud our vision.

To have an undivided heart means that we aren’t compartmentalizing our relationship with Jesus, allowing shame to divide us on the inside. He wants to be a part of both our highs and our lows, our successes and our mistakes. Matthew 22:37 says “You will love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, all your soul and all your mind.” This isn’t just a commandment but a promise. Jesus has given you a WHOLE heart!
 
Recently, I heard Jesus say, “Guard the peace I’ve given you at all costs.” This got my attention. Peace doesn’t mean everything is smooth sailing, free from life’s challenges. Peace is an inner gift that isn’t circumstantial. It’s grace that enables us to rest in the middle of the storm. My prayer is that Jesus would begin to show you what that looks like in your own life. It may be turning off news alerts on your phone, taking time each day to get quiet and still, asking God to show you if there are ways his truth has become muddled or complicated. He's inviting you to return to Him.

Love, Karena

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