By: Jessica Huber

Loving the world is like the bride loving the ring more than she loves the groom.
I heard this quoted the other day and it made me say …”Oh Yes!”

It’s no secret, scripture compares The sacred union of a husband and wife to Christ and His Church.

It made me think even further. If we take it in another direction, I would think that the ring would represent His eternal Love, the gift of Salvation. To be worldly, would be to misconstrue the representation of the ring. The meaning behind the ring being forgotten or watered down.
The ring being appraised by the natural instead of by the Spirit.
1 Corinthians 2:12-14
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, 13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.
14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.

Titus 2:11-12
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,

To appreciate the gift, you must appreciate the Giver, get to know and understand His true character.
We can not Flaunt Salvation and then tuck Christ to the side, this includes his teachings. Honor the One Who gave this to you! Honor Him with your life!

Romans 6
15What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! 16Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?

Ephesians 2:8
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

When the Glory is not given to the Lord, then the gift is taken for granted. We cannot separate the ring from the groom.

The World tends to misplace where credit is due. ” look within yourself” “Believe in your own strength” ” You will find the answer within” We can not receive our gifts from any substitute, we certainly do not do it in our own strength.
JESUS is the Way The Truth and The Life, no one comes to the father accept through him.

Scripture reminds us not to conform to the patterns of the world. But to be transformed by the renewing our our mind.

Life revealed and lived by The Spirit!

Let’s stick with this wedding ring analogy and look at the actual picture of wedding bells within the world. Today, women run around flashing the ring, the wedding celebration becomes larger than the vows. We draw up contracts based on a future failure. There are shows based solely on the dress, the debt can grow beyond limits as long as it’s seen as the best! The budget could feed the five thousand or heck, the five hundred thousand! So much thought and effort is put into a one day celebration, falling in love with the hoopla, rather than the journey ahead.
It’s a mindset fixed on the worldly within an illusion of the temporary.

We have Christians who also live within this temporary realm, walking into a building for a one day a week celebration. We proclaim Salvation and receive His beautiful gifts but after the quick fix, when it’s all said and done the union is forgotten.
Manny even go as far as putting that ring in their pocket, allowing anything that comes by to catch the eye. They may proclaim of a walk but it looks NO Different from that of the rest of society. When things get rough, The groom is missing entirely from the conversation! Many actions and behaviors would lead one to ask, hmm are you even married? Where is the proof of your husband?
In other words ..”oh I had no clue you were any different, I never knew you were a follower of Christ.” “That’s news to me.” ???? “Where is the proof?”
How many times have we resorted to the back up plan and jump ahead of God’s will, just because our request was not for filled instantaneously?

The truth is, we are to be Set Apart! He did not die for us to go on living in the old. He died so that All who walk this earth may experience the New! His plan today is to do it through You!

Galatians 5:25.                                                           If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

The real value is in the marriage, not the celebration. Its what happens After the DJ packs up, after the guests go home and the venue has been swept and closed. In the end, it’s about the relationship. Two become one. There will be trials and difficulties, there will be pot holes within the ride home. How we weather the storm will determine on What we fix our eyes on, the temporary or the Eternal.

The world will not see the true value of the gift, if The Giver has been forgotten. Let’s start showing this world who we belong to ! Lets follow His lead! Brothers and Sisters, express love, gentleness, patience and kindness, start putting hypocrisy aside.

Wear your Salvation proudly but make sure your arm is Linked to The One Who gave it to You. Display His Grace and Compassion as you walk! Don’t short change the mission with just a Sunday walk down the isle, Let His Commitment and Love be Always on display, EXPANDING beyond the walls.

James 1:22
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

We share the gift because it is the representation of His goodness, It’s the proof of His all consuming Love, a love that never changes, it is complete and never ending. The cost is far from worldly, it was priceless and might I add, it was paid in full! It is not something to be stingy with or withheld, it is for ALL to share within this union!
Engrave His Name on it!

Galatians 6:14
But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Prayer
Dear Lord, I thank you for the gift of salvation. Lord, help me to remember that I walk this earth as a representative of your Glory. Lord forgive me for passing on opportunities to allow for your light shine. I thank you for your commitment, All that you have been, All that you are, and All that you will be in my life. Help me to display your love, your patience, and mercy through my actions and behavior within this walk.
In JESUS Name.. Amen