When things get complicated, they are no longer simple and straightforward. If you are asked a question that would require a long, detailed answer, you might just say, “It’s complicated.” We use the word complicated to describe relationships, problems, and life in general. When we hear of complications, we know things aren’t going to be easy. The word complicated came about in the 1640s to mean “tangled” or “difficult to unravel.” I am reminded of a knotted chain necklace.  Sometimes the more you work to untangle the chain, the more tangled the chain becomes. Probably most of us have experienced this in our lifetime, and it leaves us scratching our heads as to what knotted the chain up in first place. I would like to look at 4 “D’s” that immediately cause complications in our life.

1. Doubt.  The first miracle, “Feeding of the 5,000”, is reported by all four gospels (Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:31-44; Luke 9:12-17; John 6:1-14). The second miracle, the “Feeding of the 4,000”, with seven loaves of bread and fish, is reported by Matthew 15:32-39 and Mark 8:1-9, but not by Luke or John. Let’s take a closer look at this first complicated problem. Jesus and the disciples are near Bethsaida, close to the Sea of Galilee. They have 5,000 men present, not counting the women and the children and the disciples tell Jesus to send the crowd away that they can go into the village and eat and find lodging. Jesus tells the disciples to feed this crowd. At this point, things are looking complicated for sure. They tell the Lord that they only have five loaves of bread and two fishes. Once everyone was seated, Jesus blessed the food, and began to have the disciples pass it out to the crowd. Everyone did eat and were filled and 12 baskets full of fragments were left. Jesus stepped into the equation and simplified things. 

This event should be burned into their memory, but oh, how soon we forget! Not long afterwards, they were in the region of the Gerasenes near Decapolis and you can guess what happened! Once again, they have a load of people and not much food. In fact, here is what the scripture says in Mark 8:1-4, “In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them, I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat. 3: And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far. 4: And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness?” 

Once again, it is a complicated situation, but the simple solution was standing near. You would have thought one of the disciples would say, “Master, you fed the 5,000 a while back and I am certain you can do it again!” But instead they ask, “How can we satisfy these men’s hunger here in a wilderness?” They removed Jesus from the equation completely, and thankfully once again, this time with seven loaves of bread, he fed the multitude and seven baskets full of fragments remained. We must believe to simplify life! 

A complicated situation took a more complex turn for the disciples when they failed to remember what the Lord had done before and they doubted. When we doubt the power of God and remove him from the equation, things are inevitably going to be more complex. Faith simplifies things.  Faith says, “I don’t know exactly what God will do, but I trust him completely.” Faith takes the knotted chain out of our hands and places it in the hands of the one that can untangle it all! 

2. Division. Mark 3:24-27, “And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25: And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26: And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. 27: No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.”  As the church of Jesus Christ, we must be united. Unity, like faith, will simplify things. Tug of war can be complicated and especially messy. When we all pull in the same direction with the same vision, something good is bound to happen. When division is present in a marriage, friendships, or within the church body, complications are soon to follow. These complications will eventually end in irreconcilable differences that will dissolve the relationship and lead to failure. Our division binds us, and while we are bound, Satan slips in and robs us of everything good. Unity is so important in all areas of our life! 

3. Discouragement. Mary and Martha had sent for Jesus because their brother Lazarus was sick. They wanted Jesus to heal him, but Jesus waited until Lazarus had died and been in the grave for four days. John 11:17-26 says, “17: Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already. 18: Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off. 19: And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. 20: Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house. 21: Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 22: But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. 23: Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. 24: Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 25: Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”  We find two women who believed without doubt, but we can still see their discouragement. They knew that if Jesus had been there, all would have been well, but since their brother was dead, all hope seemed gone. Jesus reminded them of this simple truth: He is the RESURRECTION! When discouragement sets in, it is easy to begin to doubt. Hopelessness will cause discouragement and that discouragement eventually leads to depression. Now we can see the formation of many knots in the chain, but once again, Jesus steps into the equation. He raised Lazarus from the dead! We must be encouraged today by the fact that God is in control and has a definite plan for us all. We simplify our life when we allow God to have full control, but when we are discouraged and try to fix things on our own, more complications will follow!

4. Disobedience. The largest complicator I saved for last.  When we fail to obey God, we are opening ourselves to a load of complications. God warned all of Israel not to take anything from their enemies once they had been defeated, but Achan did just the opposite and hid things in and under his tent. Here is what the scripture says in Joshua 7:20-26, “And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done. 21: When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it. 22: So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it. 23: And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD. 24: And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. 25:And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones. 26: And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day.”  If you remember back, Mary told the men at the marriage of Canaan of Galilee to do whatever Jesus said before he turned the water into wine. What simple advice! Just do what the Lord says to do when he says to do it! That is not complicated at all, but boy do we ever struggle with this one for some odd reason. We think we can often do it our way and all will be well, but nothing could be further from the truth. Achan paid the ultimate price by losing his family and his own life. Our obedience will simplify every facet of our life, and we won’t have to worry about facing terrible consequences.  If we can keep doubt, division, discouragement, and disobedience from creeping into our lives, we can live a simple life filled with God’s peace, joy, satisfaction, and contentment. Let’s believe, unite, be encouraged, and obey the Master.