Recently, I’ve been struck by the simple way in which children think. This spring, I volunteered at a camp, and as part of the curriculum, we were teaching the story of Daniel and the Lions' Den. When we asked the kids questions, a young girl around 5 years old would always answer in the simplest way, but I could tell she understood the story better than most kids her age. When the group was asked how Daniel was saved from the lions' den, the young girl said something to this effect: “Daniel trusted that God would keep him safe because God loves Daniel.”

Hearing her answer using her small vocabulary made me realize that sometimes it’s best to just keep things simple. As coaches and athletes, we tend to overanalyze situations. Coaches complicate the messages they try to convey to their athletes, and athletes over-think a play or the mechanics of their sport. In my experiences, though, making things complicated affects my ability to perform at my best. When I stop thinking so hard about the play we are about to run and just do it, everything turns out for the better. In the end, I know my muscles and brain have been trained to run the play successfully.

At times, we over-complicate our faith, too. The simple facts are that God loves us more than we can ever understand and He wants us to love Him back with all our hearts. In order for this relationship to be possible, He sent His Son, Jesus, to pay the price for our sins, which had separated us from Him. Through believing in Jesus and receiving His atoning sacrifice, we are forgiven and restored to God.

There is a reason God wants us to be more like the child mentioned in Matthew 18:1-5. Not only do we need to humble ourselves, but we also need to remember to keep it simple and think like a child. Those who haven’t heard God’s good news may not understand His love if we try to make it complicated.

God has trained our hearts and minds to work for Him. Today as you live to glorify Him in all you do, remember to keep it simple!