Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “To be simple is to fix one’s eye solely on the simple truth of God at a time when everything is being confused distorted, and turned upside down.” Bonhoeffer was a German Lutheran pastor known for his theological writings. He was also known for his anti-Nazi stance for which he was imprisoned and later killed by hanging.
I don’t want to equate our culture with the time of Hitler’s rise to power. However, we too can feel as though our present world is scary or upside down, and in some respects, we would be right. Some things in this world look opposite of what God intended for his original creation. But as Christians, we make a mistake if we fixate on the ugly, or pain, or difficult in our lives.
It may sound trite or simplistic, but Bonhoeffers statement demonstrates the truth that what we focus on matters. Some people say it, “You steer where you stare.” If we look too long at our world – through either the news, social media, or local gossip we get a distorted, confusing and pretty bleak view. But if we choose instead the “simple truth of God”, the path for our lives becomes clear and full of hope.
I’m not saying that reading Scripture, or choosing God’s truth makes everything easy. Considering his earthly circumstances and death, I don’t believe Bonhoeffer was either. But when we find and hold on to truth amidst chaos, it allows us to find our why – our reason for living. When our reason is to live for Christ, it makes all the difference. It changes how we see ourselves and how we see others. When we live for Christ, we always have hope because we believe in his good plan for us. We believe that one day he will come back and make all things right. So we lift our gaze and adjust our focus – toward Him.
Praying with you,
Pastor Cindy