Life, in general, moves at a breakneck speed, but in the holiday season from Thanksgiving through the new year, life becomes a blur. And in the midst of it all, we find ourselves thinking, “Why can’t life be simple?”
Whether we realize it or not, the life we find in Christ is meant to be simple. That doesn’t necessarily mean “easy,” and sometimes it doesn’t mean pleasant, but life isn’t meant to be very complicated. Paul recognized this, and it was probably made abundantly clear as while he was imprisoned in Rome, when he wrote to the Christians in Ephesus. In Ephesians 4:1 he wrote: “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” As a prisoner, Paul’s life was fairly simple: he couldn’t go anywhere, and he couldn’t do much more than write. But prison wasn’t the reason for his simple life; it was his single-minded purpose in life: to preach Jesus. Paul’s calling was so important, that his life became simplified around that single purpose. In Ephesians he writes to help Christians live up to that same calling.
In verses 2 and 3, he tells us how we can live simple lives worthy of that calling: “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Paul tells us that in order to live as Christ intended, we must simple love each other and strive for unity within the church. He also tells us how to simplify our thinking within the church in verses 4-6: “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called—one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”
With this simple purpose and a simple faith, we can simplify our lives, within the church and outside the church. As we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Savior, let us remain focused on him and living lives worthy of our calling.