Simple Faith vs Simplistic Faith

Today I experienced few things that gives me a reflection of people and how people relate to faith.

fr0st_guy lamented,

"i am simply disappointed tat i originate from a society tat regards anything they dun understand as being too difficult to comprehend...."

It is true for many of us today that lived in a fast-paced, result oriented, superficial society, that we never stop and reflect our lives, the meaning of our lives, our direction, the people around us, the injustices of life.

We leave fundamental questions away from our minds, and regard it as "too difficult to comprehend", and live in a bliss of ignorance. Probably we are too lazy. Instead we worry about where are we going to have lunch later, how are we going to pass the exams, who am I marrying, should I go to the party? etc. etc.

Even in matters of faith, many of us tend to be simplistic, while we maintain a sophisticated life...

"Just love Jesus-lah, no need to pening kepala think of trinity-lah, Da Vinci Code-lah, what's the name err... Nehemiah-lah, Obadiah-lah, the -ah -ah prophet name one.

....As long as I am happy, go to heaven, enjoy good worship service (by the way, the guitarist is real cute), get good job after I graduate, go round the world, go for mission trip to Thailand, serve in music team, life is great

....My mother also ask me not to go church too much, later can't get good result in my exam... Oh by the way I just bought a new N70, cool man... oops, I gotta go, have to meet up friends to play dota and go yumcha

....And by the way, I got a Catholic friend who ask me why we Protestant say that they are worshipping Mary. She say we simply accuse them. What should I do ah? You handle her la, here I give you her email. Big big topic like that I donno one-lah.

.....Also I saw a poor lady begging for money outside KLCC last week. So kelian, I gave her RM1. Haiyah, the government so bad and corrupt, always tax us but never help the poor. after that I went to eat Sushi King there, the sushi there damn teruk man, not fresh one. I prefer Genki Sushi".

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As Sherman Kuek said, "you can't be simple in one area and then complex and sophisticated in another. It's strange how some adults are so sophisticated in their lifestyles and their handling of wealth (or life), and then claim to be living a simple faith.....A child has a simple faith because he has nothing; he simply trusts."

Jesus asks us to live by faith in Him. He said, "where your treasure is, there is your heart". If we focus our lives on 'sophisticated things' rather than fundamental issues of faith, life and the meaning of life, and the problems of life, then we are actually living in an empty meaningless journey.

And by the way, the meaning of life is not found by reading one chapter per day, using Our Daily Bread, or memorising Purpose-driven life, or pray the prayer of Jabez once in the morning, once before sleep. The meaning of life is not found by pre-defined points to memorise, or prayer to recite, or a creed to blindly believe in. It is driven by contemplation, meditation on the scriptures, and reflection on our lives.

Jesus asks us to be like little children, to have child-like faith. It is simple faith in God, a wholehearted trust in God to lead our lives. But it is NOT simplistic. Trusting God doesn't mean that we are to live ignorantly in the world we live in and forever having 'baby-like' faith, never seeking to grow in maturity.

We need SIMPLE, yet DEEP faith.