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The phrase "practicing Christianity" sounds almost like it is a task that has to be performed along with so many of the other mundane duties of every day life, like piano lessons, or taking out the garbage. It does not need to be that way. Jesus said that "my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matt. 11:30)

Being a Christian is not difficult at all, if one knows the simple truth. Over the past several centuries, man has been very resourceful in finding ways to complicate a life with God. Confessing one's sin and claiming the forgiveness that was given some two thousand years ago is just the beginning. Being a Christian is all about having a relationship with God. The one price that He requires is that one must be prepared to give up everything for Him. But God does not mean throw away every possession. He means it is more important to understand that the things of this world are not where the focus should lie. True freedom is finally achieved once the clutter is removed and one sees the true picture, that God does not want our stuff, our rituals, or our repeated mindless chants. He wants us to love Him as He loves us. It is no more difficult than that. One soon realizes that once the commitment is made, it is no longer necessary to fret over the things of this world. He tells us over and over in the Bible that we are more important than the flora and fauna of the earth. It is amazingly liberating to really understand what that means.

A true believer behaves the way he or she does naturally, which is probably very close to the way Jesus behaved. The disciples, for example, were all very normal men, with all the problems that accompanied being one. The thing that set them apart is their genuine love for people. They did the things that needed to be done. People were fed. People were healed. They did not do it for their own edification, but for the glory of God.

Jesus told his disciples that they should pray in private, where no one will see or hear them but God. He wanted them to understand the difference between religion and being one of His followers. Practicing Christianity is not about following the rules or living like some kind of unadventurous, humorless stiff. It is not about putting on a spectacular show in public in order to be seen by everyone. It is about getting out among the people and serving them, the way Jesus served them. It is easy to pick out the real "Christian" in a group of people. It's the one in the crowd who is serving the other members as a disciple of God should.

Learn more about this author, Edward Kraszewski.
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