And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the spirit he gave us lives in us. — I John 3:23-24

Recently, my son-in-law and I were taking about a home improvement project. A new vanity had been purchased and needed to be installed.

On more than one occasion, we were tempted to complicate the task. Let’s replace this and this and that. Wisely, we talked each other out of it each time. Keeping things simple, clear and concise enabled us to avoid a watery mess.

John would have been right on board with our decisions that day. He wrote the same way. Simply. Clearly. Concisely.

The last thing John wanted to do was to confuse his readers about what a relationship with God was all about. Believe in Jesus. Love each other. These two soul deep decisions put us into a growing fellowship with him. As a result, we will be assured and strengthened by the Holy Spirit equipped to live our best life.

What have you been tempted to spiritually complicate these days? It’s very tempting to add to God’s word or to try to make it say what we want it to say. Let’s take a collective deep breath. Soak up the simple message again for the very first time: God loves you. He sent Jesus to pay the death penalty for your sins. Believe in him. Love him and love others. … There is no reason to create a spiritual mess.

Wiles is the senior minister of Fall Creek Christian Church. He can be reached at 765-778-3166.