Grace is the main message of the Gospel. Jesus came to reveal this grace that defines God. I follow three principles that grace helped me to craft. Firstly, keep it simple, don’t over-complicate the message. Secondly, focus on clarity. If you don’t keep it clear, how will your audience figure it out? Lastly, don't give up. The pressure of the obstacles gets greater daily, and the objective is to make you quit. Christian living is a marathon … it’s long, it takes emotional endurance, and it takes spiritual stamina to finish. Simplicity, clarity, and determination are ways that I stay focused.
Keeping it simple is a major theme for me these days. When I looked back over my career, I realized the more complicated I became in communicating the message of the Gospel, the more I moved away from God. There is a very fine line in keeping the message of God about Him, and not about promoting the messenger. I realize that to keep a ministry alive, you must offer something people will support … but have we turned God into a marketing experience? Do we act as promoters more than servants of God? Simple is becoming more difficult because everyone has more to say and more to add. Yet, simplicity about God should be our goal. There are endless studies about God that can bring simplicity into focus, and that should be our goal.
When I was in broadcasting school many years ago, they told us to write our radio or television commercials for a fifth grader, because the simpler they were, the more people would pay attention. This is also true in the advertising world. Think about all the commercials you hear in a day. Research has told us we are exposed to 4,000 to 10,000 messages every day through the various mediums of television, radio, and the Internet. That is a lot of exposure … perhaps too much at times. Every message has a goal … to convince you, to inform you, or to attract you to their message.
Think about how many times we are told the truth and how many times we are lied to within our daily diet of information. This is why our message of the Gospel must be simple. It has to compete with all the thousands of messages we hear every day, so it must stand out as a simple message formed around clarity. Clarity is my second principle. In our day of quick texting and the use of multiple abbreviations, clarity is also becoming more difficult. I realize that my own communication takes on a quick and somewhat cryptic style of writing, and I assume everyone will ‘get it.’ But they don’t. Repeatedly I find myself having to resend a message to clarify my intentions. Simple communication needs clarity, and that does not mean more words … it means the words you use must make your point. As I said in the opening, grace taught me about simplicity. Grace is a simple concept … grace is God. It is grace that gets us an audience with God, and the benefit of grace is salvation. Again, a simple and clear message that it is all about God … no ambiguity here. Clarity is a gift to some, but for those of us who want to be clear, clarity may not come easily … we have to constantly strive for it.
My last principle is determination, or ‘don’t quit.’ When I think of my grandparents' generation, it is obvious the day in which they lived was less stressful. They had simpler times with fewer demands on their lives, and their wants were in check. They never used credit, they paid cash for everything they wanted, and if they didn't have the money, they didn't buy it. Pressure was so much less in those days, and I think they lived happier lives. The pressure of stress has created a society that is not equipped to deal successfully with it. As of 2023, 50% of Americans feel stressed, which is up 33% from 2003. Surveys have revealed that 46% of people want to quit their jobs, which is up from 40% in 2021. People are finding less fulfillment in their lives, and it is showing up in how they relax. Of the nearly 140 million people 12 and older who drink alcohol, over 20% of them suffer from alcohol abuse or addiction. The latest statistics on marijuana usage is that about 14% are using, and that number is growing. My question is, "Are we losing our determination to find meaning and satisfaction in living?” Personally, I think people need to know there is more to life than the daily routine and grind. If people think there is nothing beyond this life, it will affect the way they live. Having faith in God and developing a God conscience has its benefits for those wanting to give up. Determination is fueled by a goal, a purpose, or a dream. When these are missing, it becomes harder to remain focused. My concern for you today is to find your place in God’s Kingdom. It is a simple message that will bring clarity to your life and give you the help you need not to quit. God’s Kingdom is found in Jesus Christ. Explore who He is and what He offers all who come to Him.
Challenging the Culture with Truth … Larry Kutzler