Contributed by David P. Ley, President of Alaska Bible College
There once was a lady named Youme who fell madly in love with a man named Due Ty. They were married in such joy and expectation - they were going to grow old together! Youme loved Du so much that there was nothing she would not do for him.
After a few years, Youme became really discouraged. It seemed no matter how hard she tried to do what Du Ty demanded, it was never enough. Youme just could not seem to please Mr. Du Ty, so they came up with a plan. Each morning, Du Ty would make a list of what Youme was to do for the day. Now that Youme knew what Du Ty wanted, she was sure she would be able to please him! My, how she tried! She worked so hard to get everything done, but you know how life is at times. Du Ty would come home, and something wasn’t just right. Well, you know what I mean!
Tired, discouraged and depressed, Youme found that she was starting to hate those lists that her husband gave her. She just felt like a failure all the time, but she was a person of her word. She was committed to Du Ty until the day he died! Yet where was the joy, the expectation, the love? This marriage dream had turned into nightmare of fear and drudgery.
As the time of life passed on, Due Ty passed on as we all must do someday. Youme grieved as most spouses do, yet in some guilt-ridden way she felt relieved. A few years later, she met a man named Greg Ace, and that’s what he was - a real ace. He loved her for who she was and not for what she did. Youme wanted to spend forever with G.R. (that’s what she loved to call him). They were married with such joy and expectation.
Life for Youme with G.R. Ace was filled with laughter and hope. She loved doing things for him. She always felt that he was blessed to have her as his wife. Such love and acceptance gave her an enthusiasm for her work as a wife. One day as she was cleaning out her desk, she discovered one of those old lists from Mr. Du Ty. It seemed funny to her how she had almost forgotten her old life with its fear and drudgery. But what shocked her most was her discovery that everything that Du Ty had written on that old list, all the things he wanted her to do that she could never seem to do, she was doing all the time in her new marriage to Mr. G.R. Ace!
Hope the point of this story is clear to you -
Is our relationship with Christ a thing to do?
Or is it built on His deep love for us -
The biblical truth that He is gracious.
So let duty die its death on the cross,
Crucified with Christ at such a high cost.
Live in His love - the lists He’s replaced
With obeying joyfully by His amazing grace.
