It is NOT That Complicated!

Have you ever noticed that we as humans tend to over-complicate everything? People are struggling with understanding who they are and what their purpose is. So many feel empty, scared, angry and depressed because they do not believe their lives have any meaning. We toil and toil trying to build a life for ourselves and our families. We sometimes miss the mark and put our focus on the wrong things, which only robs us of experiencing the fullness of joy that God wants us to have. Why does this happen? Why do we do this?

It is my personal belief that we just think too darn much. The more we are in our heads, the less we are in the presence of our lives. In other words, when we are thinking about past events that are no longer relevant, or we are worrying about a future that has not come yet, then we are missing what is right in front of us. If we dwell too long in our minds, way too much can go awry. We can control our thought life, but it is way too easy to lose control of where we allow our minds to travel. Once the thoughts go in the wrong direction, our emotions immediately follow. Our depression, anxiety, anger, and fear all come from thoughts gone awry.

Listen people, God made it really easy for us. First in Leviticus, God told us to “love your neighbor as yourself” (19:18). In Matthew 22, when Yeshua (Jesus) was teaching, someone asked him, “Rabbi, which of the mitzvot [commands] in the Torah is the most important?” (22:36). Yeshua’s answer was two-fold and very simple. He said we are to first love Adonai with all of our soul and strength. He then said we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. He went on to say that these two mitzvot are basically the foundation of the Torah and the Prophets. In other words, the most important thing in life is to trust and serve God and show you are His by loving one another.

So, how can this be applied to our lives? Again, it is really very simple. With love comes peace, because the positivity that love brings overpowers the negative emotions we carry and allow to overwhelm us. With love comes contentment. We are no longer consumed by what other people have that we do not. We do not need to worry about good things happening to bad people, because we trust in Adonai and trust that He will serve the justice. That frees us to focus on our blessings. With love comes joy. Hate, anger, bitterness, and fear are all emotions that drain the life force from us and rob us of our happiness. They poison our very soul. With love comes acceptance. No matter who a person is or how they treat us, if we act with love we “heap fiery coals of shame” (Proverbs 25:22) on the heads of those who hurt us. Who knows whether your act f love can change that person for the better. Love allows us to feel compassion and empathy for people and that paves the way for open dialogue, greater understanding and the opportunity to resolve conflict.

I can really go on and on about how the simple act of loving one another is the solution for almost everything, but I think you get the gist by now. In today’s world, with so much division, anger and strife, it is clear to me that no world leader seems to have the solution. The solution lies with each of us. If you do not think you have a purpose in this life, please allow me to suggest one. Your purpose, my purpose, and everyone’s purpose is to love and allow yourself to be loved. The love that you share may be the very thing that saves a person. The kindness that you show may be the very thing that gives a person who is suffering hope. If we serve our fellow man in love, we are serving our Creator, because that is exactly what He has commanded us to do. You will never be wrong by showing love.

So I end this discussion with this challenge. I challenge you to commit to loving. Start simply. Say good morning to coworkers as you pass them in the hallway. Hold doors open for people. Be a good friend. Help the needy. Have some extra patience for that annoying friend that you try to avoid. Make an effort to stay in the present, let go of hate, anger, fear, and regret and trust that God allowed you to experience things in your life for a purpose. Allow those things to give you wisdom. I even go as far as to say rejoice in your sadness, because that pain will make you stronger. Lead by example and heap fiery coals of kindness on people’s heads. Basically, with love, be the change we want to see in the world and, one person at a time, we just may yet make this world a better place. It really can be that simple! God bless!