We live in a time when everything seems to be so complex.

College degrees are seen as a must in order to succeed; you are thought to be incapable of figuring out the complex if you don’t have one. Video games have upteen levels of complexity to navigate, tv series go on and on to unravel the plot and there’s no such thing as a simple relationship.

When you move into the religious or the spiritual, complexity rises to new levels. You need professional clergy to “figure it out” and dumb it down for the lay folks; a knowledge of Old English is required in order to be seen as having the “right” Bible and most “spiritual things” are seen as being achieved only after years of intense struggle.

So, most folks pick up a Cliff Notes or Dummies version of spiritual growth in three easy lessons and resign themselves to the impossibility of being a true Jedi of the faith.

That’s sad.

It also means that Satan takes the match and rules the church.

That’s wrong.

But, what if it really isn’t that complex? What if this spiritual thingy is far more simple than we’ve been led to believe?

Would that change anything? Would it up the stakes? Would it wrest the church out of Satan’s hand?

But Jesus was matter-of-fact: “Yes—and if you embrace this kingdom life and don’t doubt God, you’ll not only do minor feats like I did to the fig tree, but also triumph over huge obstacles. This mountain, for instance, you’ll tell, ‘Go jump in the lake,’ and it will jump. Absolutely everything, ranging from small to large, as you make it a part of your believing prayer, gets included as you lay hold of God.” —Matthew