"I Do" Because I Love Him

I found this poem in one of my textbooks, and it really struck home. Hope it blesses you too!

My mother taught me how to pray: I do.
My father taught me what to say: I do.
They said to go to church each week,
and listen to the preacher speak; I do.
My dean has taught me modesty,
To wear my skirt below the knee; I do.
Life and Teachings help me too:
I learned Acts 3 verse 22.

 Every night at nine o'clock,
Good kids meet to pray in bands; I do.
We sing, "If you're happy and you know it,
Clap your hands"; I do.
I do these things most every day,
My dean, she says I've found the way.

 Let's see. Clap your hands, go to church, 
Say a prayer, learn a verse-I'm saved. Yipee!
What did you say? Jesus Christ? Who's He?
This poem very accurately depicts what a Christian life without Christ looks like. There is more to the Christian walk than rules and standards. If there is no heart-change, if we are merely going through the motions, then we have never experienced the joy of walking with the Lord.
Being a true Christian means that Christ is the center. While we definitely keep the commandments, we don't keep them with the rule-compliance mindset. We don't keep God's commandments and standards by "not breaking" them, but rather we keep them because we love God with all our hearts, and our neighbors as ourselves.

It is my prayer that my life will exude the sweet fragrance of walking with Jesus. It is my prayer that I never lose sight of what it means to be a Christian. May Christ be the center, may He be the reason, and may He be my guide.



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