They Ate Their Food With Gladness and Simplicity of Heart

They Ate Their Food With Gladness and Simplicity of Heart

How do gladness and simplicity of heart arise? They arise by all the opposites being removed; by partaking of the death of Christ; by all distractions being crucified with Christ; by forsaking yourself and all that you possess so that you seek just this one thing: to please God.

The distractions that have to be removed are such things as seeking the honor of man; all human ideas of how everything and everyone ought to be; all thoughts of showing off; all anxiety, all conniving, all suspicion, all ulterior motives, all demands, all comparisons, all wishes and plans in this world and all thoughts of gain: how you can best acquire something, exploit it, and keep it.

Holy simplicity is full of joy, thankfulness, a lack of anxiety, and detachment—resting in God from moment to moment.

It has nothing to gain and nothing to lose in this world. Thereby all distractions fall away automatically, just as a comet with its long tail vanishes in the universe.

Just as we can then enjoy our food with gladness and simplicity of heart, so we can also do everything else in the same manner—yes, everything, without exception. Then we are really free, redeemed, and glad.

This is something else than bondage.

All distractions that are bothering people to such an appalling degree are just one huge knot—a terrible confusion—of sin.

Our complete surrender into the death of Christ makes an end of all this and results in joy and simplicity of heart.