Two summers ago, I sat down to watch a live stream to hear Ben preach for the first time in about six years. He preached a great sermon, thought provoking as always. He talked about pride, which of course, didn’t apply to me, but I could see where he was coming from. He talked about prayer, and I had to admit to myself quietly that I probably needed to work on that one. He said something about our practices, but honestly, I wasn’t really listening. It was too late for a sermon to fix the mess my practices had already made. He said there was one final “P”. Almost done, then I could get back to fixing my life. “It’s your priorities” (he said it twice for effect).
Then God interrupted. I doubt anybody else heard it, but He couldn’t have been clearer to me. God said “see, I told you it wasn’t complicated.”
I’d been using that phrase a lot around that time, and God loves to use my words to make His points with me. I guess He knows I’m the only one I won’t argue with (He would later double down on this trick and suggest I record them). As Ben continued, I realized that I’d never made God my top priority. I had asked Him to serve me, and had offered Him plenty of constructive criticism to help Him do it better. But I had never put His will first. Or even asked Him what His will was for that matter. I’d always assumed it was to make me happy.
As I’ve learned to seek His will, God continues to show me that it’s not complicated. He wants us to be more like His Son. That’s not complicated at all. It’s impossibly difficult, but it’s a simple instruction. Be more like Jesus.
When things are going well, be more like Jesus. When things are tough, be more like Jesus. When you don’t like how people are treating you, and this one isn’t fun, but be more like Jesus.
I guess He was right. It’s not complicated. But then again, being right is kind of His signature move. I guess that’s why He told us to seek first His righteousness.
