Complicated

ByHal Hammons

When a friend’s Facebook profile has “It’s complicated” in the “relationships” space, that’s bad news.  Granted, being single can be complicated.  So can being married.  But in this context, “complicated” means something that the friend in question is hesitant to try to qualify with a simple word

He is now a homosexual.  Or she is in the process of leaving him and knows their mutual friends blame her.  Or they are living together because he “doesn’t believe in marriage” and she doesn’t want to lose him.  It’s usually something like that.

In truth, there is married, there is single, there is divorced, and there is widowed.  Not complicated.

In fact, Jesus goes out of his way to simplify things in Matthew 19:4-12.  Divorce is wrong, with the implied exception (for the wronged party) of fornication.  You are not entitled to someone else’s spouse, nor are you entitled to abandon your own.  Not complicated.

Of course, there will always be those who push back.  Jesus Himself acknowledged some would be unable (for whatever reason) to make this sort of commitment.  But the solution for them was to remain single, not to ignore God’s rules.  No, it’s not an easy row to hoe.  But the one who wishes to serve God will find a difficult command less “burdensome” (1 John 5:3) than knowing he is rebelling against God (James 4:17).  So he will submit.  Not complicated. 

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