God is infinite, exists outside of time and space, and has no limitations. No beginning and no end, but “IS” the unchanging God of the past, present, and the future. We call him “simple” because he can not be cut or polished. Thus, to follow the son of God is the way of simplicity because he gives rest to the weary and burdened; for his yoke is easy and his burden is light. His simplicity, although imperceptible, is hidden from the wise. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Simplicity is the state of God’s Nature. When it expands, it is everywhere. If people embrace the “simple” and work without effort and without burdening their true nature with material goods and selfish desires, all things will come together on their own. They will discover God by their own inner goodness and worship him. However, when powerful rulers act, their first course of action is to institute names. Now that the way of Jesus is gone, names and reality have become more confusing. What is simple has no name, but when we make something of it, names give rise to more names. Where does it end? When do we stop chasing names? In the beginning of creation, names were not important to God and did not exist until the creation of man. Early names were simple, but man’s sinful nature used names to differentiate people to signify their power, wealth, and education. Judges 13:17-18, ¹⁷ Then Manoah inquired of the angel of the LORD, “What is your name, so that we may honor you when your word comes true?”  ¹⁸He replied, “Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding.

Today, we have taken the simplicity of names and made it more complex. Names are no longer enough, but require a “title” before the name. A title (CEO, Dr. PhD, President) is simply another way of naming a person to better identify his/her status.  It is sometimes used as an effective and silent method to position ourselves above others. Names with prestigious titles give us a sense of establishment, driven by the opinions of others, and help form quick opinions without a voice. If names are used for empowerment, it may lead to the danger of distinction or segregation. Luke 6:26, Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets. This approach of self identity focuses on the outer appearance and overlooks the spiritual inner being that animates our true being.  1 Corinthians 6:19, Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; We are made from the inside out and covering up our insecurities with a blanket full of ego cannot carry the true joy from God. Identifying the self-ego that separates us from the less fortunate is wasted time and energy. It only shows the lack of substance which is fueled by the opinions of others who have power over you. Educated or uneducated, white collar or blue collar, employed or unemployed, we are equal in the eyes of God. 1 Peter 3:18, For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, Matthew 23:12, For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. There is no righteous and no one who understands the true nature of God. Our righteousness comes from God through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all of us have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. We are justified freely by God’s grace through the redemption that came by his Son, Jesus Christ. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in his blood.  Nelson Mandela is a prime example of a man who brought his country together in peace. An anti-apartheid activist who was not defeated by his 27 years imprisonment. After his release on February 11, 1990, he became the first elected president in a fully representative democratic election and achieved the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. “If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under.” (Ronald Reagon)

Image by * Honest * via Flickr

In addition, with increasing numbers of names comes along with more desirable things that are valueless to God. No amount of money or single object (oil, land, homes) is greater than one’s life.  As it is with many different classes of humans (white, black, rich, poor), it is also with many different classes of material things (homes, private airplanes, cars, money). When we start classifying our life based on our worth in dollars or assets, it is a danger to humanity. With great wealth comes great responsibility (Bill Gates).

Matthew 23:1-7, ¹Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: ²“The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. ³So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. ⁴They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. ⁵“Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; _⁶they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; ⁷they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’

Matthew 23:27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean.

Matthew 25:41-45, ⁴¹“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴²For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ ⁴⁴“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ ⁴⁵“He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

Names and titles will be long forgotten after humans are gone, thus it is more important to understand what God has in store of us that is eternal. A homeless person doesn’t care if you are the president, Doctor, CEO, but only cares what you can do for him. If high power men can hold onto the working spirit living in them to live a simple life, they will serve the people righteously. The people will worship God, the heavens and earth will be harmonious, and good fortune will rain from above to all who have written the Word of God in their hearts. He who follows his Spirit, God will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

2 Chronicles 7:14
¹⁴if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Luke 12:32-34
³² “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. ³³Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. ³⁴For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

2 Peter 1:3-10
³ His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ⁴Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. ⁵For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; ⁶and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; ⁷and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. ⁸For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. ¹⁰Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, ¹¹and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

When we do not know what we ought to pray for, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We must search our hearts to know the mind of the Spirit and know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him and who have been called according to his purpose. When we realize the spirit is living in us, everything seems to fall into place. Plans for the future progress smoothly and people come together to serve one another. The existence of God in our hearts is as important as streams to great rivers and oceans. God pours water (the Spirit) on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground.  And whoever believes in God, streams of living water (the Spirit) will flow from within him and they will be blessed and glorified (Isaiah 44:3, John 7:38-39). The Spirit of God resonates powerfully within us and we gravitate toward him naturally when we are walking in spiritual paths. Chronicles 7:14, ¹⁴if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.