The Ring

As is often the case, our pastor said something in his Sunday sermon that made me think. If you have your Bible handy, you could open it to Romans 2.

When my wife and I got married (49 years ago this coming July) we put rings on each other's fingers. Why did we do that? Well, tradition. Our parents did it, and THEIR parents, etc. But do wedding rings really DO anything, other than to show others that we are married?

Back in the day, God gave Moses the command (Genesis 17) that all males must be circumcised. It was a physical act, a sign to others, of the covenant between God and the Jewish people. But then Paul came along, and under the NEW Covenant, said this:

"A man is not a Jew because he is one outwardly, nor is circumcision only outward and physical. ²⁹No, a man is a Jew because he is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise does not come from men, but from God." - Romans 2:28-29

Do you remember Gollum's obsession with "the ring" in the Lord of The Rings movies? That's basically the same obsession that the Pharisees had with The Law of Moses. But then God offered a NEW Covenant through Jesus. The Pharisees didn't like it so they killed Jesus, because of their obsession.

A wedding ring means nothing, if it is not accompanied by loving, sacrificial hearts.

And how about our "wedding" with Jesus. Is He not the bridegroom and we are the bride? John The Baptist's disciples came to John and asked him about this Jesus who was also baptizing. John told them...

"The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom stands and listens for him, and is overjoyed to hear the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete." - John 3:29

It is not the cross we wear around our necks, or the communion wafers and wine we sample at church, it's our hearts!

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." - Ezekiel 36:26

This question must be asked then: Do our hearts truly belong to Jesus, or do they follow ritual or tradition? Do we follow Him because He is our Lord, or do we go to church because of our tradition?

“Watch your life and doctrine closely." - 1 Timothy 4:16

Keep Making Me

We all have our own ideas for who we want to be. That's fine and all, but who does GOD want us to be? That's the real question for the Christian, isn't it?

We can say we want to get married when we grow up and have 2.3 children, a good job and a nice, big house to live in . . . that's the American dream! But what if God has something else in mind? What if things don't turn out like we had hoped and our childhood dreams don't come true?

Let's stop right there. Look at our description of "the perfect life." Is that the life of a Christian? It's a self-centered description of a worldly life, is it not?

"Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is." - 1 John 3:2

Aren't we supposed to be submitting to HIS will in our lives? How does the Lord's Prayer go? It's "THY will be done," not MY will. Where in the Bible does it say that God wants us to be happy? Nowhere. There are even verses that say the opposite.

"In this life you WILL have trouble." - John 16:33

Think about it. Shouldn't our prayer be for God to make us into who HE wants us to be?

We often ask kids, "What do YOU want to be when you grow up?" Instead, shouldn't we ask,  "Where is God leading you?" Or, at a graduation party, do we ask the graduate, "What is God's will for you now?"

I'm thinking our prayer should be for God to make us into who HE wants us to be. Our job is to figure out what that job is. And accomplish it. For Him.

Keep Making Me - Sidewalk Prophets