K.I.S.S. is an acronym for a familiar phrase that I’ve slightly modified since my soon-to-be 3-year old daughter believes that “stupid” is a bad word. Whenever she hears comedian Steve Harvey say it while driving to work in the morning, her response is,

“Daddy, that’s not nice.”

As a sign of respect to her, I have chosen to acknowledge her request by refraining from using the word stupid to avoid offending her. My altered version of K.I.S.S. is,

“Keepin’ It So Simple”

Reading the book, Simple Faith, by Charles R. Swindoll, reminded me about how easy it is to please God. Mr. Swindoll offered the following commentary about the “four questions this Old Testament prophet asked God in Micah 6:6-7.

“Micah’s words state exactly what many, to this day, wonder about pleasing God. Teachers and preachers have made it so sacrificial…so complicated…so extremely difficult. To them, God is virtually impossible to please. Therefore, religion has become a series of long, drawn-out, deeply painful acts designed to appease this peeved Deity in the sky who takes delight in watching us squirm.”

What God requires from each of us is not as complicated, nor demanding, as our spiritual and political leaders have managed to make it as evidenced by this prophet’s response to verses 6 & 7.

“He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?”

–Micah 6:8 NASB

Thinking about the simplicity of each of these three tasks compelled me to ponder the possibility that pleasing God was never intended to be a series of unduly burdensome exercises comprised of legalistic, unrealistic rituals.

How difficult is is to:

1. Do justice?

2. Love kindness?

3. Walk humbly with God?

When time permits, compare Micah’s short list of simple tasks to the lengthy list of complicated tasks that one too many of us honestly believe we must accomplish on a daily basis to please God. What do you do on a daily basis to please God?

In closing, I hope many of you were encouraged to know that pleasing God is not complicated, demanding, nor difficult. No wonder Jesus Christ said,

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30 NIV

Copyright 2007 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.