Simplify

That’s what we have been hearing from God for the past few months. At first we thought it was the material things we needed to simplify, so we began weeding through things. We soon realized that is was more than material clutter affecting our lives. People in general, are chocked full of spiritual clutter which makes their lives more difficult than it needs to be. What does spiritual clutter look like? Most people continually seek more “teaching” to get to know God and have more revelation; they are constantly looking for new “Bible Studies”. Is that what we really need? We are to continually seek God and He is new every morning so there is always something new to learn from His word, but “study” has become clutter to many Christians. So many believe they need this great revelation before their lives can get better and they start serving God, but in reality what they need is to just start doing what they already know. 

I have been walking this path of righteousness for over 13 years now and I see people who have been walking longer than me behind me and some that have been walking less than me ahead of me. We are all on the same path so why the different speed? It wasn't necessarily that those ahead of me received this great revelation. It was the hunger, the drive, the surrender to the love of God that moved them along so quickly. It was their willingness to yield to something greater than themselves.

Last night we went to hear some good friends of ours speak about their missions work in South Sudan. I wrote this blog a few days ago but God didn't release me to post it. After hearing what Brad had to say, I knew I had to add some of his words to this. He shared their story of their willingness to yield and go to South Sudan to minister to the children there.  When they first went, they didn't necessarily know everything that they were doing, but they went in obedience to God. Over Christmas they learned the meaning of “there’s safety in the will of God”. The American church believes that means that if they are following God’s will then no harm will come to them. Brad reminded us of all the people in the Bible who were in God’s will yet suffered beatings, imprisonment, poverty, etc. So what does “there’s safety in the will of God” mean? It means that God’s will is safe and perfect (Romans 12:2). They may not have been fully qualified and definitely were not prepared for everything they were to encounter in South Sudan, especially when they were caught in the middle of a war and had to leave the children they had loved and cared for in order to eventually get them to a safer place. They walked out every step in full dependency on God not knowing what each step would bring.

Brad taught on Matthew 9:37 “the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few”. Years ago Jason and I heard the word “go”, so we went to our pastor at the time and was told we needed to go to school and do all this stuff before we could go. Last night Brad talked about the qualifications needed to go. “Qualifications come from obedience to Him, not waiting till you get it right… The 72 were sent out and they didn't even know how to pray.” When you go, you are “dependent on His power”. “Jesus didn't tell us to pray for people to be healed, He told us to heal them. We are supposed to have authority. Working out our character issues is keeping us from the truth… You just obey the Lord, let God make it workable. Let the Lord decide when you are ready to go. If you will say yes, He will reveal Himself in us and manifest Himself through us.”

Instead of more “teaching” and fellowship we have been told to simplify, “seeking first His Kingdom, praying, continually yielding our lives to be His instruments for His kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven. Many are not going to understand what we are doing but we are going to continue to walk in this freedom and righteousness and plant the seeds of the kingdom wherever God sends us. 

Brad and Kim Campbell are missionaries with Keeping Hope Alive Ministries. They are currently in the United States raising awareness and funding to return to Africa and be reunited with the orphans in their care.