My nephew tied the knot last weekend with an amazing, godly woman. It was a beautiful ceremony that honored them and their faith. My nephew plays the drums at his church and they have both been active in mission trips. They have a heart and a passion for God that I am convinced will lead them into unique opportunities to serve him.
My wife and I arrived as the bride was making her way up to the front of the church. We got to get a sneak peek at her before she made her grand entrance. Her beauty beamed not only from her face but from her spirit. It was an honor and pleasure to witness this uniting of hearts. There was a big crowd, further evidence that they are already having an impact for the Kingdom.
It is special to see these two hearts come together. From their humble beginnings, unencumbered by things, they are free to follow Godís call. In the twinkling of an eye, they can follow where God is calling them. They are both working and going to school; ah, to be young and energetic again.
The minister spoke about how marriage is symbolic of our relationship with God. My nephew is now the head of his household just as Christ is the head of the church. God expects my nephew to love his new bride. In the beginning itís easy because they both will work hard to please the other. But true love requires loving another even when those feelings arenít present and easy to experience.
Jesus gave us the perfect example of love. He loved us even when we were unlovable, and laid his life down for us. True love is willing to sacrifice everything to get and win the object of its affection. Each one of us has turned our backs on Jesus by sinning and choosing to love and serve ourselves. True love looks beyond the shortcomings of another and continues to love anyway.
My nephew is called to protect his new wife much like Jesus did and continues to do for us. Jesus protects us from the enemy who desires to harm us. Jesus provides a way for us to escape the traps that are set for us. My nephew is called to shield his new wife. When the storms of life rage against them, he is called to be her strong tower of protection.
My nephew and his new bride will obviously share close moments together. They will talk and share deeply about their lives and hopes. Jesus desires to have that kind of closeness and intimacy with us. He wants us to be able to talk to him about anything in our lives. There are no secrets with God. He already knows our hearts, but he deeply desires that we share our inner-most thoughts with Him.
One of the things my nephew will have to learn is how to build his wife up, how to esteem her highly. Jesus does that with us. He helps us discover our value to him and his kingdom. God chooses to reach out to the world through us. We are a vital part of his plan to impact and change the world. We need the Holy Spirit to encourage and strengthen us so we can accomplish the purposes of God in our lives.
There are so many ways that marriage symbolizes our relationship with God. The cornerstone of that relationship is love. In order to walk with God we have to have faith in him, much like we need faith in each other for marriage to grow and prosper. There must be a sense of hope, a belief that God is leading us into good things for our lives together. There must be a mutual trust and an openness and willingness to share the joys and sorrows that life will bring .
I want to encourage you to examine the foundation of your relationship with God. Do you feel and sense the depth of his love for you? Do you love him and talk with him every day? Do you read his love letter to you? Have you shared with him your joys and your sorrows? A relationship with God must be based on faith, hope and love. The greatest of these is his love for you.
Doug Creamerís website is at www.dougcreamer.com. Email him at doug@dougcreamer.com