Often lyrics found in various songs influence me, and sometimes profoundly. For example, the other day I was listening to one of my favorite Christian hits radio stations and heard a song by an artist by the name of Hollan. Without being able to remember the exact lyrics, I remember thinking, "this song could be about a relationship of any kind where one person is in love with another." However, since I was listening to Air 1, a faith based network of radio stations based out of California, I was able to relate the lyrics to my own life of faith.
I have been in a love relationship with Jesus Christ since the age of 16, when I excepted him as my Lord and personal savior. Up to that point, I knew of Jesus as a great teacher, a good friend to the people in biblical times and has God's son but really had no connection to Him or with Him.
When I became a Christian and as I grew in my faith, I was told to pray, read my Bible every day and listen to Christian music as it would help me through the discouragement of every day life. I was told to attend a Bible believing church every Sunday, to worship with the people of God and to engage in fellowship with his people. I spent doing things that would honor God and not doing things that would cause harm to him like getting involved in drugs and other things. I was told to share the gospel and to be an example to those who don't know God that they "may see the good works that I do and give glory to God.
As I grew as a Christian, I learned about Grace which means where I fall short, God comes through and is faithful even when I am not. The idea of grace became a really freeing concept to me.
However, I still had that "list" in the back of my mind. In fact, I always have it in the back of my mind.
The solution to this, I think, is to start talking and listening to God like I did when I first became a person of faith. To quote a song, my spiritual father God is a "good, good father," and Jesus is His son who died for me. As my Lord and Savior, Jesus is there and wants to hear the things that are going right in my life, but also wants to hear my problems. The Scriptures are there to guide me in a way that is true and right.
So I'm done with the list of dos and don'ts. I'm done with living in a funk because I can't do certain things. I'm going to devote energy back to a love relationship with a God who has literally given me every thing that I need!
