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At a wedding ceremony, the bride wears all white because it symbolizes purity. She would not wear other colors like black or gray or orange because other colors symbolize other things. Green can symbolize life and also greed. Black for evil or darkness. Red for love or lust. And of course there are weddings where people dress wildly and out of the ordinary like wearing rainbow colors or having a wedding underwater. But a bride generally wears white because of what it symbolizes--purity. It means that she has been pure till the day she becomes one with her groom. And she wouldn't wear a torn up or a dirtied gown. Nor would she wake up in the morning of the wedding day and go straight to the aisle without fixing her hair, putting on her makeup, and making sure she looks perfectly wonderful and beautiful for her groom.
You are Jesus' bride. And one day He will come back with all His glory and all the angels to be with His bride. But looking back at the year 2009, what color do you think your gown was. Was it wrinkled and dirtied with gossip, jealousy, and deceit? Did you wake up in the morning and spent so much of your time preparing for that moment when you will walk down the aisle, just as you would prepare and invest your entire life for eternity? Was your gown red with lust or green with greed?
When you accept Jesus into your life, God doesn't see you as a sinner anymore. Not saying that you don't fall into sin anymore, but that the blood of Jesus now covers you and God sees you as holy and set apart for His glory. Though we still make mistakes as Christians, God still forgives us and still sees us as His children.
I'm not saying we should stop watching movies, or hanging with our friends, or do homework. But if Jesus came back right now, do you want to be doing what you are doing now? In other words, is what you are doing bringing glory to God or taking glory away from Him? And are you living in expectancy and with great hope for the coming of your groom?
When Jesus comes back, I want Him to say to me, "Surprise! Our wedding is today! Wow you look so beautiful! I know you made mistakes and stumbled but you were still using your life and your heart in preparing for me!"
"I know what you're going through is really tough. With all this stress from your family and friends and just this world around you. So heavily influenced and bombarded by media and hollywood. I know it's hard to really live out your faith to your friends because you are afraid that you may loose that friendship, that people will look at you differently, and that you won't be able to just fit it anymore. I know the troubles that you are going through and the constant temptations from satan. And I know it's hard to really fight against the ways of this world.
But know that I walked on water. Know that I healed the crippled. Know that I gave sight to the blind. Know that I created the heavens and the earth with my fingers. Know that you were created fearfully and wonderfully. Know that I crushed satan under your feet. Know that you are not alone. Know that I am the beginning and the end. Know that my love never fails. Know that my goodness and faithfulness never dies. Know that these hands are holding your heart. Know that I was crucified on the cross. Know that I was tortured and that I died the perfect death in hopes that you may spend eternity with me. Know that I am the King of Kings. Know that I am your God and you are my child. Know that I love you.
I am the Lord, and that is my name. I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols. I will not let the wicked go unpunished. I will not let satan rise to his feet. I will not let you be tempted more than you can bear. I will not leave you nor forsake you. I will not abandon you in a place without refreshing joy. I will not withhold good from you. I am the Lord, and that is my name.
In this world you will have trouble. But take heart...I have overcome the world.
It's so hard, I mean love, not life. You can have life and not have love but you cannot have love without life. Because to really live is to love and to really love is to live. Everyone choice you make there are two things that happen. The first is that whatever choice you make will speak of your allegiance and alignment with God or satan. And the second is that your decision will either bring you closer or further away from God. Whether the situation is big or small, these things will result from whatever choice you make. And it is so hard to see which decision is best especially when it comes to love. Love with God, first love, falling in love, love with bestfriends. Because with love, reasoning begins to fade and emotions, feelings, and hearts begin to dominate the ground. So now, not only do you have to juggle with your emotions and feelings but also with your faith and relationship with God. And we start to think and ponder on countless questions about different situations concerning love. "I like this girl but should I wait? What am I suppose to do God? Well I really feel like this. But how does she feel? What does God want me to do right now? Am I ready? God, do you think I'm ready? God are you still listening?..." And sometimes you think about these things and end up putting them aside and continuing on with whatever you are doing. And sometimes you just can't stop thinking about these things. I don't know if Adam and Eve had the same kind of problem or struggle back in the garden. And there are so many more questions and different scenarios that you make up in your imaginative mind. Like you meeting the perfect guy at some romantic place and you two start to attend the same bible study group and eventually...you can fill in the rest. Ponder, and think, and imagine what it would be like in the future. And then you look at where you are at right now and can't wait for that moment. You see all these things passing on around you, people getting together, marrying, having a family, and sometimes you feel alone and behind. Media has set a standard for you and has given you a guideline on how to do love and relationships. And you might have gotten past that and thrown this whole media influence aside and placed God's way of love and doing relationship before your life. But it can still be so hard sometimes just in waiting and hoping to meet someone. Because after all that's what we are made for. To be with someone and to be with God. We weren't made to be alone. But more questions, more thinking, more pondering, more imagining...
But He did everything that needed to be done. To the last drop of His precious blood, He hung on the tree. As we stand on a broken bridge over a raging sea, He held it up as He died on the cross.
Love encountered the cross so that through the cross we may encounter love.
You might still struggle with the waiting and how you view relationships and your love with God. You probably want more than just "pray about it. Read the bible." You probably want more of a three point guideline on how to do love and how to not feel so lonely as you wait. And you probably have figured out by now that I don't have any advice for you. But I do believe that God has just told you what you need to do right now, whatever it is. Whether it is to pray, to read the bible, to talk about it with someone else. God has just put in you new love. And this love is pointing at what is going to come for you--to meet a beautiful warrior-bride or a godly man who is madly in Love with Jesus. This new refreshing joy and love that you feel right now is just a hint of what has yet to come. God is just showing you a piece of what He has in store for you!
