We live in a super-complicated world. Everything is complicated. Relationships are complicated. Health is complicated. Finances are complicated. Work is complicated. We are complicated. From the deepest of the inside of us to the farthest reaches of our lives and beyond, there is so much that has gone on and is going on, and all of that is interconnected in ways that we never fully understand.

Everybody wishes that we had a firm handle on our lives, like the world's best bull-rider on an enjoyable but mediocre ride, fully in charge, and fully in the know. But in reality, we are more like feathers in a hurricane, overwhelmed and confused, not knowing what in the world is happening right now and not knowing what is going to happen next.

So it’s no wonder, to me, that in the midst of all this complication, we very often get lost. And I don't mean lost as in a little bit turned around. I mean lost like a blind man in a blizzard. In the midst of it all, we try to get a handle on our lives, but we don't know where we are. We don't know how we got here. And not only do we not know what to do, much of the time we don’t even know who we are. And it is a terrible feeling to be lost in the midst of a complicated life that seems to be out of control.

So today, as a person who knows what it’s like to be lost in a complicated life, I’m going to share with you the single most simplifying truth of my life.

For me, as I recognize and apply this truth, all of those complicated parts of life that I just mentioned become a lot more clear. I discover at least a basic idea of where I'm at. I discover a whole lot of what I’m supposed to do in most situations. And I discover who I am. And on my good days, because of this truth—even when life is absolutely crazy—I am not. Are you ready for it??

OK. Here is the truth that brings lots of clarity and simplicity to my life: Jesus is for real.

That’s it. Jesus is for real. It may seem strange, but in that one truth, my whole life comes into focus. Because of that one truth, I know that God is real and that He loves me so much that He would send Jesus for me. I know that I’m important. I know that you’re important.

I know that God is big enough to take care of us. I know that God has a plan that is bigger than today. And I know that I can trust Him. All of that, and so very many other things, stems from the simple truth that Jesus is for real.

No matter how complicated things around me get, the more that I understand and live out of that truth, the more peace I feel. Because Jesus is for real, I know who I am, and I get to choose to live out of that every day. I’m still a bit of a mess, don’t get me wrong.

But I am also whole. And that is a pretty great thing.