Just Pondering
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Rick Branan |
But as for me, I will never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. The world has been crucified to me through the cross, and I to the world.
Galatians 6:14 (CSBBible)
Simon Kara Marak was born in 1877 in Baroigaon village, Kamrup, Assam. His father died when he was young, and he experienced additional heartache when as a young man he married and had a child, but his wife and infant died of sickness. A few years later, a second marriage and birth ended in similar circumstances. He attended the Guwahati Government School 1907–1909 and the Government Training School in Jorhat, 1909–1912, after which he was recruited by the Kamrup Baptist Association to be a missionary teacher at the Upper Middle School in Kinangaon village. During this time, he married a woman named Salomi and had two children, James K. and Samuel K., but his wife died after giving birth to the second child. A fourth marriage to a woman named Magdali led to seven more children (Elizabeth, Jesse, John, Merina, Binoy, Onima, Nilima).
After teaching in the Upper Middle School and the Jorhat Mission School, he became Assistant Pastor of Jorhat Baptist Church in 1935. He is believed to have written “I have decided to follow Jesus” around this time. One of his daughters, Onima, who was born in 1938, testified, “From the time I started knowing things as a child, I heard my father singing this song. Therefore, I feel he wrote this song before I was born.” She believed he developed the song to fill a gap in the limited congregational repertoire at the time: “Simon wrote this song so that it could be sung while he was preaching, as there were hardly any songs to be sung during his preaching. So for that reason, he must have written the song to be sung while he was going place to place to preach the gospel.”
Hymnology Archive
I Have Decided to Follow Jesus
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.
Tho' none go with me, I still will follow;
Tho' none go with me, I still will follow;
Tho' none go with me, I still will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.
My cross I'll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I'll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I'll carry, till I see Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.
Written by Simon Marak
When I was attending Southwestern, I met a fellow student working on his doctorate in theology. We both worked at the library as janitors. In one of our many conversations, he shared his Indian background. We think of India as being Hindu but Baptist missionaries have worked there since the mid 1800’s. My friend’s salvation was a result of that work. He was planning to return to India and start a seminary to train young pastors.
Paul told the Galatians that his boast was in the cross of Christ not his Jewish heritage or the world’s offers. Paul was a well-educated and well-travelled man. He had seen everything, yet his focus was on Christ crucified for sinners. Is that your focus? Do you know Christ as your Savior? Today is the right day. Admit you’re a sinner, believe Jesus is God’s Son, and confess Him as your Lord and Savior.
Simon Marek’s words rang true for my friend from India and for me as a young boy in fourth grade. “I have decided to follow Jesus . . . the world behind me, the cross before me.” Don’t turn to the world, turn to Jesus!
Just pondering . . . Bro. Rick