”It’s not that deep.” My daughter said. I was having trouble organizing something on my cell phone and couldn’t figure a certain setting. Enter my 16-year-old who pushed a few buttons and made things right and afterwards announced, “It’s not that deep.”
I sheepishly thanked her as I realized I missed a very simple step. Why didn’t I see it? Next time I’ll watch some YouTube tutorials to figure things out. It’s humbling to be set straight by your teenager.
“Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome.”
1 John 5:3 NLT
Admitting to our own shortcomings
Living for God isn’t difficult, it’s not that deep. His ways are misinterpreted as being too lofty for the average person. “Who can live up to those standards?” Well, none of us can. What we find difficult is admitting to our own shortcomings. Instead of acknowledging that His ways are perfect, we try to cover our imperfections by citing His ways as too lofty or unfair.
I have four children. Yes, I’m an overachiever 😄. Having four kids was never on my radar. When I was young (er) I thought that I was the least likely candidate to have a bigger family. And today, here I am. God had other plans for me. And guess what? I wouldn’t change a thing. Each of the four has his/her own personality and gifting, making our family rich.
Nor am I your typical missionary. I don’t have a set of skills that makes me stand out as an overseas worker. Yes, I can run feeding programs and write a few blogs. But to be honest, nothing about me makes me stand out any more than the rest of the crowd.
I’m beginning to understand that it’s not that deep
I realized over time that God is invested in developing my life. He is as invested in my life as He is in anyone else’s. This understanding turned my world around. God’s ways are perfect and His love for me pushes me to love Him more. I’m beginning to understand that it’s not that deep.
“But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him.”
1 John 2:5 NLT
This verse seems to contradict what I’m saying. It actually isn’t. Loving God isn’t about what we do, it’s about the posture of our hearts.
I love my kids and you love yours. They test our love from time to time. In certain seasons of life, they test our love even more. But we still love them. That love pushes us to do whatever it takes for their well-being. As our kids mature, their understanding changes. This will often happen with marriage, having children, or other life-changing events. And we find them returning to us to show us their love.
This kind of love takes time.
He loves us without a “however”
This same principle holds true with our Heavenly Father. He loves us without a “however.” His love is unconditional and we test His love. Once we live life, we begin to understand God’s love. Obeying God then becomes less of a chore. In fact, instead of being a chore, obeying God becomes a joy. A real “no brainer” if you will.
It’s not that deep, really.
Oh, here’s a little free advice from a technologically-challenged blogger. Do you want to avoid your teenager’s rolling eyes? Try following the Geeks on Tour for advice on phone settings. They’ve helped me avoid the dreaded eye-roll 👀 a few times. 😂
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