"Is it really that difficult?!?"

I had breakfast with one of my really good friends this morning (shout out to my boy Ben!) and the two of us were just hanging out, talking about different things God had been doing with us lately and had been teaching us and areas He had been growing us in. One of the things we talked about for awhile was how backwards we all have everything. Because our culture is so "Fast Food", and "Give me what I want when I want it, exactly how I want it...". Because we're given everything without having to work for it or suffer because of it. Because we've been blessed beyond our wildest dreams but somehow have come to expect it, and even worse...feel entitled to it somehow....we've made everything way too complicated.
Take our health as an example (Since this is what I teach and deal with on a daily basis). Everyone wants a formula for their health. "Doc, tell me what to do to ______ (you add it in...be healthy, lose weight, gain muscle, get pregnant, be smarter, be stronger..etc)" We've totally missed the point and are making everything way too complicated. There are only 2 reasons why we get sick...only two. Because God has PERFECTLY created the body to handle every circumstance and every contingency....only 2 things can happen: 1. Toxicity or 2. Deficiency
You either A: Become toxic in things you shouldn't have in your system (toxic thoughts, processed foods, caffeine, smoking, artificial sweeteners, plastics, xenoestrogens, etc) driving your perfectly created physiology away from normal function, OR B: You are deficient (lacking) in things your body has to have to function (water, nutrients, rest, stress-relief, exercises, spinal motion, essential fats, etc) and that in turn is forcing your body into a state of sickness and illness in order to adapt to whichever of the two (or both) that's happening in our bodies. So if we can figure out which one of the two are happening and correct them naturally and allow our perfect bodies to return to perfect normal function, then our bodies can correct what's gone wrong. That's not to say that there is a point of no return at times because of the damaged caused by years of abuse and misuse.
What about with marriage?? We now have availabe every kind of marriage program under the sun to try and give us a "formula" for having a great, productive, godly marriage. "Respect him so he'll love you and he'll love you so you can respect him!" "Tell your wife 3 things good about her every day..." "Tell your husband all the ways you appreciate him exactly 5 times a week.." And on and on and on and on. Isn't marriage supposed to be a mirror image of Christ and the church?? So if we as couples and husbands and wives focus on God and His love and listen to His direction, and then put our spouses needs and desires before our own all the time....where's the difficulty??? I'm not saying Cindy and I have this perfect set-up, or that we have it all figured out because we don't and we're human and learning just like everyone else...but God has been teaching us and guiding us lately on simplifying everything about our relationship with Him and every other aspect of our lives because most of our stress comes from the complexity we try to add in to each of our situations. Maybe marriages are hard because of selfishness, I don't know. I know I was extremely selfish when Cindy and I got married and with God's love and help and her patience, I grew in that area and because I love her more than I love the air that I breathe, I'll do anything and everything to make sure that she is taken care of and cared for and loved on not because I expect anything in return, but because THAT'S THE WAY GOD DESIGNED IT!!! Doesn't it say "Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her."????
Weren't the two greatest commandments that God gave the disciples 1. "Love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, mind, and soul." and 2. "Love your neighbor as yourself"?? What does this tell us about God? THAT'S HE'S SIMPLISTIC!! Everything comes out of our love for Him first, and then our love for other people over our own agendas or wants and desires. If we ultimately love God as much as we claim we do and as much as He commands, then out of that the only reaction is to love everyone around us like He does because that is a natural overflow of the love of Christ inside you. And if you're loving everyone around you, you CAN NOT be selfish at the same time!! Think about a world, no wait, think about a Church that lived this way and worked off of these principles and just imagine all that God could and would do through His people!! You can't imagine it because the possiblities are described by only one word: Miraculous!
I don't know everything, but I've learned alot, and I'm continuing to learn more everyday as I do because the Spirit continues to reveal His heart and His direction to me and I strive everyday to deny myself and say "Yes" when I hear Him because I know that when I do things under my own power, I always mess it up. I'm tired of not doing things right because I'm selfish and want my own way...I'm ready to see what God will do with a broken, open vessel that's listening for for his voice and ready to step forward in faith into all that He's chosen for me and my family.

JB