Simplify

I have always enjoyed learning more vocabulary words and discovering the etymology of them as well. The English language is very fascinating and is a mixture of multiple languages, as are most languages of the world. I can speak, or at least understand, three languages to varying degrees and they are all connected in some way. The English language has been influenced by other languages over the centuries some of which are Dutch, French, Old Norse, and Latin; therefore, we often struggle with how words should be spelled or pronounced. It is the third most spoken language in the world after Mandarin Chinese and Spanish. In the fifth century the Anglo-Saxons, mixed tribes of Germans and Scandinavians, settled in England, who brought with them their own language called Old English. It has evolved over the centuries into what we know now, and even still, you can hear many nuances and dialects in each country that declare they speak English. Quite interesting; however, not a mystery to those who are Bible believers.

We know and believe the account of creation, and as we continue to read, we see in Genesis 6:5-8, “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” This led to the flood and the destruction of every living creature, except for Noah, his family, and the animals he had gathered into the ark. Genesis 9:1 & 19 then tells us, “And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread.” The families and descendants of Ham, Shem, and Japheth began to spread out and replenish the earth as the Lord had commanded, and Genesis11:1 tells us, “And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.”

However, verse two begins to tell the story of how someone, Nimrod being the ring leader, thought they had a better idea than God. They stopped moving, replenishing the earth, and thought they could all settle in one place, build a tower to heaven, and then their life would be ‘made in the shade’! However, that was not God’s plan. Therefore, we see how in Genesis 11:7-9 God said, “Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. So, the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore, is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.”  From Genesis 11:10, the Old Testament begins to track the generations of Seth, from which Abaraham came, and subsequently the man Christ Jesus, who came to redeem and restore us, back to the unity and innocence that was first found in the garden of Eden. So, we see how language went from only one to over seven thousand, one hundred and sixty-four known languages to date.

So, looking at the English language for instance, we can read in the Merriam Webster Online Dictionary, the definition and etymology of the word etymology. It is,“the history of a linguistic form (such as a word) shown by tracing its development since its earliest recorded occurrence in the language where it is found, by tracing its transmission from one language to another, by analyzing it into its component parts, by identifying its cognates in other languages, or by tracing it and its cognates to a common ancestral form in an ancestral language. It is a branch of linguistics concerned with etymologies. Etymology and Entomology are commonly confused. The etymology of ‘etymology’ itself is relatively straightforward. Etymon means “origin of a word” in Latin, and comes from the Greek word etymon, meaning “literal meaning of a word according to its origin.” Greek etymon in turn comes from etymos, which means “true.” Be careful not to confuse etymology with the similar-sounding word, entomology. Entomon means “insect” in Greek, and entomology is the study of bugs.”  Does this intrigue anyone else, I wonder?

Research now shows that doing crossword puzzles, word searches, board games such as Scrabble, Upwards, and Boggle, can all assist in gaining back memory lost, and in retaining a good memory for a longer period. It assists in our brain function as we age. When you are having to concentrate and dig deep to find answers for instance, it stimulates the brain and puts it to work. Just as exercising muscles in our bodies is beneficial, so is working the brain to the memory. Word searches as multifaceted, going from north to south, east to west, and even diagonally. The brain is subconsciously having to see all these moving parts at once. Doing team games also use various parts of the brain. You must work together instead of independently, thereby having to include patience and empathy with others as well as communicate instructions and ideas.

In group scenarios, it is not only the language that is important, as in the words used or spoken, but the most crucial aspect is to be understood. When working in teams, you may have various cultures, socioeconomic status, and educational levels represented in the same room. If you see barriers to understanding, evolving, follow the advice of the CEO of the Blockbuster companies who made this statement, “Keep things at a sixth grade level.”  This does not question the IQ’s, intelligence, or expertise of those you are addressing, but allows everyone to be on the same playing field, and get the job at hand done, efficiently and effectively. Simplicity is highly underrated and underestimated.

Not too long ago, I was perusing through a thrift store, which is not that often for me; however, I enjoy it on occasion when given the opportunity. I found a picture that simply had the word, “Simplify” on it. I bought it for a couple of dollars and walked out proud of my find, yet not really knowing where I would place it in our home. Though it stayed on my piano for a while, it now holds a place as a heading and precursor to what is on the gallery wall below it. I have placed pictures of our vacations over the last few years and continue to add more. It is a place where we can stop and smell the roses, stop and appreciate the fun times, and it is a reminder to stop and reflect upon the blessings of God in our lives. It helps us to simplify and enjoy life more. When I worked in an office setting, we had a printer that was excruciatingly slow. As I stood in front of it, waiting for it to do its thing, with people lining up behind me to retrieve their copies, I would just say, “We need a bouquet of roses here, because we know we’re going to have to stop and be here a while.”

Looking at the dictionary once again, we see that the word ‘simplify’ means, “to make simpler, or reduce to basic essentials, to diminish in scope or complexity, to streamline, to make more intelligible, to clarify.” The Etymology or history of the word comes from the French ‘simplifier,’ from Medieval Latin,’ simplificare,’ from ‘simplus’ meaning simple. Its first known use was in the year 1750.

It is hard to believe, but five years ago, the world was brought to a halt by the Covid-19 virus. No matter the complexities of it, or who was right or wrong about this or that, we were all forced to stop and simplify our lives. We had no choice. Though it was a scary time and people, including our own loved ones, were extremely sick and others were dying before our very eyes, the world was brought back to a simpler time. The hustle and bustle of life was stripped away from us without warning or preparation, and we found ourselves at home. Imagine that, at home, where we dreamt about being more often, for years. ‘Quarantine’ was a word that jumped out of the history books right into our own living rooms! We had to reimagine life as we knew it, learn how to entertain ourselves, bring back ‘throwback’ activities, and scale down any travel and outings. With us passing that season now, we would be very well served by not forgetting those times and the good lessons we learned from having to simplify.

We see in the scripture that Paul is admonishing in his first letter to the Corinthians, that they should not get all bent out of shape about the gifts of the Spirit. The principles of these gifts should not be complicated, because they are an outflow of the same Spirit, just manifested in various ways to minister to, and meet the needs of, the saints. When we are born again of water and of the Spirit as they were on the Day of Pentecost, as described in the book of Acts, we all partake in the same Spirit, which is the very essence and presence of the Almighty God. Simply put, yet so profound. This is the foundation that our Christian Walk is built upon. We must never get too far away from this point. If you get bogged down trying to understand everything, always come back to the anchor point and refresh, before trying to move forward. Simplicity and clarity are essentials in life. In the computer world, they tell you the first thing to do when you are having technical issues, is to ‘reboot’ your machine before trying anything else.

There was a debate going on in Corinth, as to which ones were the greater gifts, or the ones they should aspire to the most, yet they had missed the point. Paul had to bring things down to a ‘sixth grade level’ so to speak, to bring clarity. Complexity, intelligence, and deep thinking has its place, but if no one understands, then the Kingdom of God cannot advance. Paul plainly says this, to preface his dialog in 1 Corinthians, 12:1&4-7, “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.”  He pauses to let this basic, simple, yet profound thought sink in, then he begins to explain.

Paul continues in 1 Corinthians 12:8-11, “For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.”  In verses 12 to 14 he gives another example to clarify even further and give them an example they could clearly understand. “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also, is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.”

He expounds on that example further, and then states, going into chapter thirteen, that they should keep in mind that without love, all these gifts will be useless. After he clears that up, he goes into a little more detail in chapter fourteen regarding the gifts. He makes it clear that understanding far outweighs pomp, circumstance, limelight, fan fair, degrees, certificates, or accolades for having been used by God in the gifts of the Spirit. We could talk all day long, in English or in tongues, but if no one understands, our job is not complete, and souls will not be saved. In chapter 14:26 he gives the purpose of it all, plain and simple, “Let all things be done unto edifying.”  It is incumbent upon us, the church, to keep the message of the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, simple and understandable.

We cannot take credit for anything that we say or do, to the saving of souls, but the Glory belongs to the Lord. Any gift of the Spirit that we are allowed to operate in, is something that is supernatural, and a miracle, not of our own making. Paul had stated in 1 Corinthians 1:18-24, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.”

Elaborate sermons and inflated egos are not what bring people to the Lord. We used to joke in college, as a young, ‘green behind the ears,’ minister would get up to the pulpit, we would say, “K.I.S.S it.” Meaning Keep It Simple Stupid! We wanted to get to lunch in the cafeteria before having to go to work or to another class! Though this was in gest, we can all learn from that statement. We do not provide intelligence, nor expertise, when it comes to winning souls. It is through the power and authority of the word of God. The bible is simple and understandable, we are the ones who try to complicate things. 2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” That is understandable. And for those who cannot grasp it, James 1:5 says, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraids not; and it shall be given him.”

Paul let the church in Corinth know in 2 Corinthians 1:12, “… our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.” Leonardo De Vinci, the creator of the Mona Lisa portrait stated, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” A quote from the twenty first century by Paulo Coelho de Souza a lyricist and author is, “Elegance is achieved when all that is superfluous has been discarded and the human being discovers simplicity and concentration: the simpler and more sober the posture, the more beautiful it will be.”

Most people will not stop to examine the beauty and intricacies of a flower, but they will just pass right by with little to no thought of it. Things we take for granted that seem so simple are not really that simple at all. The simple gesture of holding hands or hugging a loved one goodbye as they leave the house, often get set aside as trivial and nonessential, when it is in fact those very simple moments that have brought them to the place of a loving and bonded relationship that they have today. We do not often look up and examine the beauty of the sky, yet in its beauty, simplicity and elegance, there are few who can replicate it on canvas, for it changes from day to day to offer us yet another elegant portrayal of the magnificence of the Creator! We take for granted the breath we breathe, not even thinking about it on any given day, yet the simplicity of it holds our entire destiny in its hand, and we could not live without it.

Bruce Lee was a Hong Kong-American actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and philosopher, and though he died at the early age of 32 years old, he made his mark on the world. He not only said often, “Simplicity is the key to brilliance,” but he seemed to embrace and live by this concept as well. The Psalmist simply put it this way in his prayer in Psalm 19:14, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.” Isaiah stated that simply waiting was the answer. Isaiah 40:31, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Jesus simply said in John 14:18, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”  Instead of constantly scrambling trying to find more things to do, and more places to go, more content to read or write, try simplifying your life today, and begin to enjoy the dividends of beauty, elegance, brilliance, and comfort it will bring!