May 14: 1 Corinthians 4:1-7

Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 4:6
Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, ‘Do not go beyond what is written.’ Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other.

Devotion:
How many times have you tried to build something without using plans, or drive somewhere different without using a map? How many of those times have you been so sure you were doing the right thing or going the right direction and only found out it was wrong at the last minute. God has given us directions for our lives; at least they are partial directions, we do still have to find out a lot by ourselves...

But, sometimes we look at those directions and we read more into the directions than there is actually there. I can remember sitting down for a test in a technical drawing class (engineering drawing or mechanical parts) and coming up with a complex answer only for the professor to tell me I was wrong and to show me the simple answer I should have looked for. I was distraught because I was convinced I was doing it correct… I was seeing more in the picture than there was actually drawn!

Jesus tried to give us simple directions, but because of the complexity we think of in our lives, we often seek out very complex answers for what He asks. We should always be looking for the simple, obvious answers because Jesus was very direct. God does not want us to have to try and decipher cryptic clues so we can live our lives – He wants us to look for the obvious answers and to follow the simple directions!

When we think we are in an important position, or a position of authority, we often look for very complex answers to very simple problems. I think of the extraordinary puzzles, rules and regulations the politicians are coming up with to process refugees from around the world… why can’t they see the simple solutions we all can see? Maybe because we are all a bit like that!

Points to Ponder:
Do you over-think problems in your life?

Will you trust Christ for the simple solutions?