Not rocket science

 This week's verses are Deuteronomy 30:11-14:

“This commandment I am giving you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it too remote. It is not in heaven, as though one must say, ‘Who will go up to heaven to get it for us and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?’ And it is not across the sea, as though one must say, ‘Who will cross over to the other side of the sea and get it for us and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?’ For the thing is very near you—it is in your mouth and in your mind so that you can do it.

 Moses is addressing the Israelites here, explaining the covenant that God has made with them. He is saying that God's message is not some complicated thing that is out of reach and can only be handled by experts. Holiness and righteousness are not some exotic skill that requires a three year trip to Tibet to train in secret monasteries. The basics of it are already known to us in our heart and in our thoughts.

A lot of times, we distance ourselves from studying the Bible and from taking our Christianity to the next level, because we see it as difficult or complex. Who is going to hear God's will for our lives and explain it to us? Where can we go to get explanations for all of the stuff we read? We expect there to be specialists to rely on to do all of the seeking and praying and digesting of things, so that we can know what to do.

But what Moses was saying, to give the covenant law some context, was the day to day stuff is something any of us can figure out. We all have access to God's Holy Spirit as Christians. Many of the moral principles God requires of us are naturally part of us, as can be seen by the similarity of laws and taboos across all cultures.  (They are not identical, and there are some major differences, but the basic stuff is all the same: don't murder people, be respectful, take care of the vulnerable, share with the needy, etc)

What Moses is doing is addressing that cynicism that lies in the back of our minds, the little voice that says "It doesn't really do any good to apply myself, because I can't get it all right, and it's not possible to know everything in detail." But without any formal training, with simply the desire to align yourself with God's wishes and requirements, you can still do the right thing. And you should.

We don't need to send anyone up to heaven to meet with God and find out what he wants for us, because we have the Bible, and we have the Holy Spirit. We have all we need without even leaving our comfy chair, any time of day or night. And we don't need to send anyone on a long journey to go find out what the gospel is and how God wants us to live our lives, because he has already written it down for us.

So, if you're making excuses instead of going further in your Christian walk, don't. There is no expert needed. You don't need to hire someone to do the work for you. Just do what you already know to do, and resolve to stay on the path.