A man in our church sings a song called Follow Me.

I like the song (in fact, I recommended it to him); however, as he sings it, God speaks to my heart through the words of the song.  As I consider the verses of the song, each has a great message.

This makes the song a good one.  A song meets this criteria when further analysis brings more blessings.  A song fails when further analysis makes you realize that it isn’t making sense or is teaching/advocating something against the Scriptures.

For those who don’t know the song, there are three verses; each verse is in two parts – a person talking to himself (or “saying within himself” as the Scripture says) and the Savior answering.  In the first verse, the Christian is feeling sorry for himself — “throwing himself a pity-party”, we say:

I traveled down a lonely road
And no one seemed to care…

I oft complained to Jesus
How folks were treating me

Jesus “tenderly” responds to this by pointing out that:

My feet were also weary
Upon the Calv’ry road.
The cross became so heavy,
I fell beneath the load…

No matter how “rough” I may think I have it, I have never gone through what He went through for my sake.

In the second verse, the Christian is so thrilled with what he is doing for God and how important he is to God:

…I gave up fame and fortune
I’m worth a lot to Thee!

Jesus “gently” reproves His child:

I left the throne of glory
And counted it but loss…

He gave up more than anyone on earth can give up.  Little wonder that no tongue shall be able to boast in His presence!

Finally, in the last verse there is a more subtle form of error.  We’ve had a verse of self-pity followed by a verse of self-pride (I really wish I could think of a good “p” word for the last case. 🙂 )  It is that of the zealot who is determined to do something “big” for God:

O Jesus, if I die upon
A foreign field some day,
‘Twould be no more than love demands –
No less could I repay…

Jesus again “gently” speaks to His own:

If just a cup of water
I place within your hand
Then just a cup of water
Is all that I demand.

Don’t every think your life is “wasted” just because you don’t think you’re doing something “grand” for God.  If you are in His will, that is sufficient.

I trust that this little analysis is helpful.  I find the song quite a blessing to me. I didn’t post the entire song text; if there is interest, I may do so.