We must get back to celebrating the simplicity of the Gospel.
Our modern "Christian" culture puts such emphasis on "the journey" (everryything is a "journey") that I fear we have been conditioned to be content with nothing less than a testimony that contains crisis, bright lights, and breakthroughs, or the authoring of Mere Christianity #2; without them we sometimes doubt and question: if these things aren't happening and I don't have a shocking past or I'm not being martyred daily in some way, is it real? I fear that some tend to then hold lightly to what they have, holding out for the part of the story that they can insert to have a fully developed, world-rocking, glorious testimony.
News flash, Christian: the simplicity in a story that states you were lost but now you're found, blind but now you see, and the simple yet complete grace that wrote it are where it gets glorious and world-rocking.
In needing our testimonies to be spectacular and film-worthy, we easily step over the line into controlling...and a story that you control, have every detail in place for, and cast yourself in a bigger part than you think was divinely planned for you, promotes self and leaves out the very heart and substance of the message.
It isn't in the details, though they certainly aren't bad and are *important; but you don't have to have everything figured out and know all you can in this moment that you could ever possibly know about God- in fact, you don't and can't, and the growth and learning need to be ongoing to be at all meaningful and lasting; the soul-thrilling wonder that makes a weary world rejoice is simply this: Jesus came to bring salvation, and He still offers it free to anyone who will accept it in believing repentance.
Sure, there's a lot packed in here and there's abundant more wonderful things to learn and know and share, but we have to be willing to simply be a vessel of faith- lost and found; dead and now alive; nothing without Jesus; saved by grace alone- without all the miracles of the old and new Testament packed into a 3 act play where we are a key player.
While it is often a natural part of life, you don't need visible/tangible hardship and breakthrough to confirm that "it is finished", to know that God is Who He says He is and has done what He says He has done; you simply need faith.
Our culture puts so much thought and effort into telling of our "journey" to Jesus, that we risk losing sight of and failing to convey the fact that it was Jesus came to find us, Jesus who provided a way out of our sin, and without Jesus- no matter the rest of the story- you and I would be lost, helpless, and hopeless.
*I do believe the details are important- please don't get me wrong- and I believe they are better effective in discipleship and exhorting new and fellow believers, while winning souls needs to be Jesus. Jesus. Jesus.
Plain and simple.
Profound and humbling.
