The other day, I was watching an old episode of “Little House on the Prairie” with Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert. All the children were at the one-room schoolhouse and were getting ready to do their studies for the day. In those days, school work was concentrated in three main subjects: Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic, or the Three R’s as it’s been come to know over the years. By looking at current school curriculum, I’m wondering if we don’t need to go back to the Three R’s in modern day schools, but that’s a story for another day.
As I was watching this episode of Little House about the Three R’s of education at that time, it reminded me of the “Three R’s of Christian Living” that I had written in my Bible years ago, I don’t even remember when. These “Christian Three R’s” are challenges to each of us to lead our lives, with God’s strength and guidance, in a manner befitting a Christian.
The First “R” is to Reflect Commitment in all you do. I could spend all day talking about commitment, or lack of commitment, but there is nothing more harmful to a non-christian than watching a professed Christian be non-committal. This commitment transcends all areas of your life. When you commit to a job; do it. When you commit to a marriage; keep it. When you commit to helping a friend in need; help. When you give someone your word; don’t break it. This world is full of people that say one thing, but in a crunch, do the opposite. As a Christian, we should always Reflect Commitment in everything we do and it should be noticeable by everyone that crosses our path.
The Second “R” is Remain Constant in your testimony. Speaking for myself, there’s nothing worse to me than someone who claims to be a Christian, but only acts like a Christian on Sundays. When we accept Christ as our Savior, I believe we become a “new person in Christ.” We should be different, for the better. We should never act one way at work; one way at home; and still another way on Sunday. Your testimony and your witness should always be consistent. When someone speaks to you or sees you, your testimony should be the same no matter the location.
The Third “R” is to Remember Compassion with other people. Christ called upon each of us as Christians to be different and to be a light unto this World, but he didn’t call upon us to be better than anyone else. Before I accepted Christ as a teenager, I was sinful and lost and Christ met me where I was, through other people. Had those other people been arrogant or acted as if they were better than me, I wouldn’t have accepted Christ. Instead, they showed me that Christ died for all of us, no matter where we are in life. Remember this, as you interact with others, that the compassion you show for another person is simply an extension of Christ’s compassion toward you.
It was a good reminder for me to remember the Three R’s of Christian Living: Reflect Commitment; Remain Constant; and Remember Compassion. Where are you today in your Christian Walk? Is it time for you to go back to school?
