God's Version of KISS
We've talked about KISS before. It's a well-known business acronym that comes in various forms: Keep it simple, stupid; keep it super simple; keep it short & sweet, etc.
God seems to have His own version of this. You kind of see it if you can recognize the similarity between good business decisions and good daily practical, even moral decisions.
I'm going to share some ideas from Fr. Martial Lekeux, O.F.M (d. 1953). He was writing about "peace of soul when this came up. And while reading his thoughts, it struck me that God really does like to "keep it super simple." Here's how:
First of all, he wants us to understand that God is not some task-master or mandarin either looking to control or manipulate us. That's why he gave us free will. He wants us to use it. While he expects us to obey his law, he also expects us to use our free will as long as we're making the effort to know His law and obey it.
Let's face it, we've got a lot to do on this journey of ours from birth to death. Most of us are working, have families, and try to do the best we can. Everything takes time. God knows all this.
So when we come up against a decision - any decision - the first thing to remember is God's not waiting there in the wings looking to judge us and nail us if we make the wrong decision.
Yes, I know we're expected to chose the right thing. Of course. But do you always know exactly the right thing to do all the time in every little (or even big) decision you make throughout your busy day?
So Fr. Markel suggests we ease up on ourselves. Learn to prayerfully consider the choice before us. Think about it. Then just do it.
Yes, there's a difference between deciding whether to get married and whether to give some guy on the street some money. Sure, you spend more time considering getting married.
But the thing about all this is, there's only so far most of us can go until we either exhaust our analysis, or hit a deadline. Then we've got to decide and go with our best choice.
Meanwhile, if we choose with the best intentions, God's OK with that.
What about if we chose wrong? What? You mean you've never chosen incorrectly, or maybe even disastrously? Well, I know I have. And the regret and hand-wringing that follows that can really heap a burden of guilt and sadness on your shoulders that's impossible to shake.
But if you chose with the best intentions, why feel guilty? Sure it's not easy facing the fact that you made a dumb or bad choice. But that's your pride. It's not God nailing you. He's not interested in that.
He's interested in you admitting a mistake, and just asking for His help all over again.
Remember, we pray "Give us this day our daily bread." He knows that the burdens of the day, including the decisions we have to make, are just about all most of us can handle. In fact, they're really all we should handle. Just today's choices.
So He keeps things super simple for us. He expects our best intentions when we make a choice. Then He expects us to move on.
Isn't that just like good decision-making at work? You can't always make the "perfect" choice. You usually don't have the time and resources to do things "perfectly." And so you go with your best choice. And when things go off track, or even go wrong, you deal with it.
Don't burden yourself with undue fretting, anxiety and stress in everyday choices. Ask God to guide you, but don't wait around for Him to call your cell or text you with the right choice. That's not the way He works. Exercise your free will and if things don't go perfectly, just go right back to Him and start over again.
Keep it super simple - just like God does.
God seems to have His own version of this. You kind of see it if you can recognize the similarity between good business decisions and good daily practical, even moral decisions.
I'm going to share some ideas from Fr. Martial Lekeux, O.F.M (d. 1953). He was writing about "peace of soul when this came up. And while reading his thoughts, it struck me that God really does like to "keep it super simple." Here's how:
First of all, he wants us to understand that God is not some task-master or mandarin either looking to control or manipulate us. That's why he gave us free will. He wants us to use it. While he expects us to obey his law, he also expects us to use our free will as long as we're making the effort to know His law and obey it.
Let's face it, we've got a lot to do on this journey of ours from birth to death. Most of us are working, have families, and try to do the best we can. Everything takes time. God knows all this.
So when we come up against a decision - any decision - the first thing to remember is God's not waiting there in the wings looking to judge us and nail us if we make the wrong decision.
Yes, I know we're expected to chose the right thing. Of course. But do you always know exactly the right thing to do all the time in every little (or even big) decision you make throughout your busy day?
So Fr. Markel suggests we ease up on ourselves. Learn to prayerfully consider the choice before us. Think about it. Then just do it.
Yes, there's a difference between deciding whether to get married and whether to give some guy on the street some money. Sure, you spend more time considering getting married.
But the thing about all this is, there's only so far most of us can go until we either exhaust our analysis, or hit a deadline. Then we've got to decide and go with our best choice.
Meanwhile, if we choose with the best intentions, God's OK with that.
What about if we chose wrong? What? You mean you've never chosen incorrectly, or maybe even disastrously? Well, I know I have. And the regret and hand-wringing that follows that can really heap a burden of guilt and sadness on your shoulders that's impossible to shake.
But if you chose with the best intentions, why feel guilty? Sure it's not easy facing the fact that you made a dumb or bad choice. But that's your pride. It's not God nailing you. He's not interested in that.
He's interested in you admitting a mistake, and just asking for His help all over again.
Remember, we pray "Give us this day our daily bread." He knows that the burdens of the day, including the decisions we have to make, are just about all most of us can handle. In fact, they're really all we should handle. Just today's choices.
So He keeps things super simple for us. He expects our best intentions when we make a choice. Then He expects us to move on.
Isn't that just like good decision-making at work? You can't always make the "perfect" choice. You usually don't have the time and resources to do things "perfectly." And so you go with your best choice. And when things go off track, or even go wrong, you deal with it.
Don't burden yourself with undue fretting, anxiety and stress in everyday choices. Ask God to guide you, but don't wait around for Him to call your cell or text you with the right choice. That's not the way He works. Exercise your free will and if things don't go perfectly, just go right back to Him and start over again.
Keep it super simple - just like God does.
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