Is it simple or easy?  Something can be simple, but that does not make it easy. 

This is an idea my husband and I have formulated over the years of our marriage and parenting. The words easy and simple are often used synonymously. They denote a very similar meaning. When something is either simple or easy, it’s not difficult. It can be accomplished without much work.

As we walk through the challenges of marriage and parenting, we’ve found most things are one or the other. Just because something is simple, does not mean it’s easy.

Living a chaste relationship, getting married, and having children is simple. It’s the natural, beautiful course of life. But it’s not easy. It’s easy to have sex with who you want, when you want. The path of least resistance is by definition, easy. But it’s not simple.

The simple path requires discipline, prayer, and sacrifice. The easy path leads to brokenness, damage, and chaos. 

Disciplining our toddler is not an easy task, but we know it will simplify life. It’s not easy to invoke fair discipline (at this age, time-outs). It requires us to stop what we’re doing and put time into handling our son. But it will be much simpler than raising a child who was never told no and cannot discipline himself in adult life and relationships.

It’s easy to spend too much time binge watching tv. Making up for the missed work later is not simple.

It’s simple to be disciplined and exercise weekly. Being unhealthy is not easy to live with.

Are we making simple or easy choices? They are different! Which one would reap better rewards on earth and in Heaven?