Last weekend, I was privileged to go to the wedding of a young man who was a friend of our son in High School. One summer, while he was in college, he lived with us, so now he’s not just my friend, but he’s one of a group of boys I have “adopted” over Ryan’s growing up years! (I call myself their “other mother”).
The wedding was very fun, simple and beautiful, but at the same time quite serious. But then again, I guess all Christian weddings are serious because they are a reminder of the vows I took at my own wedding. You know…for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health till death do us part. (I know there are updated versions, but hey, I was married the year they wrote the King James Bible!) Isn’t it interesting that even in our wedding vows we acknowledge that there will be hard times?
I can’t help but thinking about the bride and groom standing at the altar in beautiful clothes, in a lovely outdoor location. As they were looking into each others eyes, I was praying for them. I prayed that they would be blessed by God in their marriage. I prayed that they would have ministry. And of course I prayed that they would be happy.
Fast forward a week and in church Pastor Tim preaches on marriage. One man, one woman, “till death do us part”. He called it a covenantal relationship. I like that. Then he said something that I had never thought about. He said, “Marriage doesn’t exist to make us feel good, but to make God look good.”
Marriage isn’t about being happy, it’s about making God look good…but LIFE really isn’t about being happy, is it? This week has been a reminder to me that every part of my life is supposed to make God look good.
I read in John Piper’s book The Dangerous Duty of Delight that our life is designed to be all about magnifying Christ’s glory. He said that there are 2 types of magnification; one type is a microscope, you put something tiny under the lens and it looks bigger than it really is. The other is a telescope, you focus the lens on something gigantic (like a star) which looks tiny and it makes the object look more like it really is. My duty, according to Piper, is for every part of my life make God look more like He really is to anyone who is watching.
Consider:
"Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit."
I am thankful for the happiness in my life, don’t misunderstand me. But I am so challenged (you know, I am a professional whiner!) to see my life as a telescope and be thankful and joyful for every circumstance of it. I’m sure that whining dims the view from the telescope, don’t you think?
Jesus, You are amazing! You have done everything for me. It is by Your grace alone that I have eternal life. It IS all about You. Grow me up in my faith so that I will choose to be a telescope in every circumstance in my life…joyfully! I want to make you look good in my marriage and beyond. Please give me the eternal perspective that it takes to be that grain of wheat, willing to die to myself to bear much fruit for Your glory. Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment