How serious is it?

Something wonderful happens inside me every time someone asks me how serious I am about my faith. It's partly a chuckle, partly a smirk, partly a what on earth is that supposed to mean? No one has ever asked me how serious I am about school, a job, or my political leanings. Yet I have been asked several times about the seriousness with which I follow the teachings of Jesus.

The only way I know to answer is to say that I am in love. It doesn't always feel good to follow, and the standards are at times absolutely unreasonable. But when I think of all He's brought me through, I cannot deny He is real and at work in my life.

Serious is a word I would use to inquire about an illness or a temperament, and maybe a relationship. So yes. I guess I am serious about Jesus. But I wouldn't say I adhere to a denominational credo or that I have a formula for life with God. It changes and grows. That's the point of a living hope. I wish they'd ask me instead how this faith has impacted my life and why I chose to identify with it. That's a much more interesting question.