Why is simplicity important?

Psalm 1:1-6Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.

The wicked are under continual confusion from their own and peer counsel. They keep company with people who enable their sinfulness, and they mock the righteous who are simply focused on God and his instructions. The lives of wicked people are as complicated and unstable as chaff blown by the wind. Godly people live their lives under a simple confidence in God’s watchful direction.

Hebrews 11:1, 6Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. . . . And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

Faith allows us to accept the reality of something or Someone beyond ourselves to make sense of everything. The particular faith affirmed in this passage is focused on a personal God who responds to those who seek him.

Philippians 3:13-14No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

A single-minded focus on trusting Christ Jesus and simply living life for him makes it possible to move through life with purpose.