Back to Basics

"And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man's envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind." Ecclesiastes 4:4 (NIV)

There have been a lot of commercials lately about "getting back to basic." We even pray for it in our church services. In our tough economy, seems people are having to give up some of the creature comforts that they once considered "necessities" and the businesses are taking a hit. They are all now trying to convince us that they are a "basic" need and there is no reason to give up whatever service they are providing whether it is expensive blended coffee or an extended warranty on your car.

So what is really our basic need? Jesus said "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?" (Matthew 6:25) Seems that our "right" to a certain lifestyle is ultimately limited to our life in Jesus Christ. Each of us is entitled to trust Him and become heirs with Him in the Kingdom of God. Isaiah predicts "in that day the Lord will snatch away their finery..." (3:18) All the valuable things of this world are worthless compared to finery that we will don when we are clothed in the glory and majesty of God. The gold and priceless stones we covet on this earth are used to pave the streets in Heaven. Would you collect asphalt from the roadway to wear around your neck?

So I began to look around at what the Bible says about getting back to basics. Not much, really. The word "basic" lead me to the word "foundation" which lead to the word "building." I Corinthians 3 says "by the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ." (10-11) That lead me to the conclusion that getting "back to basics" meant getting "back to Jesus." For He is our rock and our cornerstone. If we build our lives upon Christ, all of the important things are achieved and the worldly possessions and necessities don't really seem that important any more. Suddenly what the Jones have is nothing compared to the treasures that are waiting for us in our Heavenly mansion.

What started it all-11-02-03

The Lord has lead me to realize that my burdens are not too great for Him. I should lay them before Him with the understanding that He will deal with them in His time. Ever since I was a child, my mother encouraged independence and self-sufficiency. She did not ever want me to be a burden upon anyone should she or my father leave this earth before I could take care of myself. This part of my upbringing overflowed into my spiritual life along with my drive and independence. It was not until I reached the pinnacle of my success in life at that point did I realize that I was completely unhappy and unfulfilled. I realized that the one thing lacking in my perfect life was God. I had communed with Him as a child and knew His grace as a teen, but I lost true fellowship with Him as a young adult. I let "man" lead me through my 20's and into my 30's. I then began to realize that my life was filled with discontent and I was tormented by insecurity, fear, self-loathing, and many other demons. I began a whole-heartedly quest to find my Lord-lost somewhere between my heart and my head. At my first quiet call, He was there immediately to comfort me. I have found great solace and peace in turning my life over to Him once again, planning never again to lose Him. In this fast-paced and frantic world, He is the only Rock that I need to sustain me.