Tag Archives: Being faithful today impacts tomorrow

Preparing for the wedding

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Just as lovers celebrate a time of engagement betrothal before their wedding, we the church of believers are in a betrothal period in this present age. Jesus is described as the bridegroom of the church who waits for him with joyful anticipation of his coming (John 3:29). As the ones promised to him, we wait make ourselves ready for the special “wedding day” when we will be finally united with our groom, the King of Kings. (Revelation 19:7-9) We’re called to prepare by keeping ourselves pure, unstained by the world, and clothed with love, respect, submission, and devotion (Ephesians 5:24-27, Revelation 21:1-2). We keep the lamp burning (Matthew 22:1-14) as we wait by keeping his Word close to our hearts and applying it to our daily lives.

 

If Jesus is our bridegroom and we are the bride, the question is, “Am I being faithful in my spiritual marriage?” Am I keeping myself pure and untainted by the ways of the world? Am I preparing myself in great and joyful anticipation of being fully united with him?

 

We can’t run with the world, participating in all it’s tempting and distracting ways, and also walk with our betrothed, Jesus. How we interact in this world marks us. One of the enemy’s great lies is, “It doesn’t matter.” But it does matter! Imagine a bride going to a mud fight in her wedding dress just before her wedding. It’s not unlike trying to be “clothed in Christ” while watching movies or reading books that are stain our souls. We could say the same thing of the conversations we participate in and the worthless ambitions that pull at our hearts. The same goes for the lavish and extravagant lifestyles we live without thought of the needs of others. Imagine spending a dowry on do-dads and trinkets rather than preparing to set up a home marked by faithfulness and love. We grow hungry for so many things. We long for peace, comfort, happiness, hope, wealth, success, and fulfillment. But we won’t be satisfied sitting at the world’s banquet table. The blessing we seek will not be found in the business or busyness of life ambitions. Our focus today is to remember that we are the bride of Christ, called to:

  • Be spotless and pure, uncorrupted by the world
  • Submit and be fully devoted to our betrothed
  • Wait  with joyful anticipation
  • Keep our lamps full and our light burning

 

If you were preparing for your own wedding, it would be on your mind day and night. Our challenge today is to set our minds and hearts on the most special of all weddings and prepare ourselves for the wedding by keeping ourselves faithful as we wait.

 

Being faithful today impacts tomorrow!

 

Forever

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I wonder if you might sit quietly with me for a moment as we think together about this word: FOREVER. I know it is quite beyond the comprehension of either of us, but let’s try.

Thinking about forever takes us before the beginning of time and past the time when time itself ends; before the foundations of the world were set and so far in the future we could never grasp sight of it. Somewhere in the midst of all that expanse is where we are sitting at this very moment. A little bit to the left of that your great great grandfather may have been thinking about this same thing. A bit to the right, your great grand daughter may be contemplating it too and wondering where she fits in.

Wouldn’t it be something to have a family picture of EVERYONE in your family all in one setting? It’s rare to find a five or six generation photo. Imagine a family photo of the forty generations covering just 1000 years, or over 300 generations covering 8000 years or so of human history. . . Each individual living in each generation quite unaware of the influence they have on those that will follow in their footsteps.

And here we are, taking just a moment every now and then to reflect on the impact of a single life, and perhaps a single decision made on one single day of that life, a decision to live as if it mattered. Because, even though you might not SEE the difference you make, it will be revealed one day. And all the seemingly meaningless loose threads of this time will come together when the great tapestry of life is revealed. Maybe there will be a family portrait taken, one that includes not just parents and children, but friends and strangers whose lives touched and were changed forever by intentional choices to be the light of the world to someone else. Intentional choices that consider the interests of others more important than your own. Choices that reflect that which will last forever, not just that which lasts for a time.

Choose to remain faithful to today in a way that will impact tomorrow, and forever. Living beyond yourself with forever in mind is your legacy.

“In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden forever.” 1 Timothy 5:25