Simplicity or complexity

I was thinking the other day how we have a tendency to complicate things when there is no need to do so.  Often when we are just starting out we just do things because that’s what needs to be done as we begin to grow we add “procedures” to help us function especially as we add new staff or expand our business.  We try to keep things under control so we add systems and layers of administration to help control the function of our business.  Then those systems get entrenched and somewhere down the line we no longer know why we do what we do or what the purpose of the original decree was.

It’s that way with our faith when we try to systematize God, we create a checklist for our faith to check off the right buttons. But God doesn’t intend it that way, for him its a simple do or do not.  Love God with all of your heart, mind and soul and strength, …the second is like it love your neighbor as your self Mk 12:30-31.  That’s it… by doing these two things we fulfill all the law and the prophets.

In the old testament God even says the same thing: “He has shown you oh man what does the lord require of thee.  To do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God” Mic 6:8.

Not a big old huge list, not a long list of stuff to accomplish, just walk with him.  Don’t get me wrong we need systems to keep our businesses running and moving in the right direction.  Items have to be ordered; product has to be shipped; employees need to be paid and customers need to be billed and monies collected.  And those things require some kind of order and structure in order to function.  But when it comes to the interaction between you and your employees, you and your customers, and you and your God simplicity matters.  They (the people) are the real reason you are there not just to sell them another machine or to sign their paycheck, but to care, love, and influence.

Have you allowed the “busyness” of your business get in the way of you truly loving your neighbor as your self.  Do you know what their concerns are, what do they care about?  What are their dreams?  Do you celebrate their successes, rejoice in their happiness or sorrow in their sorrows?  God wants you to.  He wants you to care, he wants to care through you.  Just like St Augustine said “they won’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

So lets get back to simple, let’s get back to loving our employees, lets let God Love though us and maybe in our midst we will see him lifted up by those who previously didn’t know him.

Now go and make disciples.