Simplify.

With the onset of every new year, I ask God to give me a word to serve as a "theme" for the next 365 days. On New Years Day 2020, He gave me the word, "Simplify." I knew the word came from Him and not from my imagination, because it is not a word that I would've chosen.

Today, I ran across this brief blog that I wrote more than six years ago. It seems God has been suggesting this word to me for quite awhile. Maybe, just maybe, it's a word you could use in your life as well:

Something I learned from more than 30 years of professional songwriting was that when you had a song that didn't seem to be working, the first thing to do is to go back and simplify it.

Rarely (if at all) does a complicated song need something additional to make it work. It becomes messy; the melody disappears; too many musical elements clamor for the attention of the listener; and the whole song loses its impact. I used to say, "If the melody can't carry the song, neither will anything else."

Life is much the same way. The more complicated our days become, we are tempted to add more things to compensate, when in actuality we should be simplifying. The more noise we add to our lives, the less likely we will hear the melodious whisper of God in our ears.

I know, it's easier said than done. But what is the alternative? More noise? More stress? More anxiety?

Let's simplify our lives and choose not to add things that only bring confusion and frustration. Give to God all the situations and emotions that stir up more fog than focus. Let go of the complicated elements and let the melody carry the song.

Take a breath... and simplify.