Married life

My life would look dramatically different (in a bad way) if it weren’t for me marrying my wife.  She is my custom designed mate, we belong together, and God has stitched us together in a unique way.  My wife makes me a better person, and brings out the good qualities in me that I am positive would not come out if we were not together.

Don’t misunderstand me!  It takes a lot of work for us to stay married.  We don’t always see eye to eye!  She can’t stand the way I do things sometimes.  Occasionally I become frustrated with the way she says or does something.  We don’t always get along.  If I am being honest, I am sure there have been days that both of us did not want to be married to one another any more.  The beautiful thing is that we made a commitment to each other, worked through the bad times, and realized that it is good to become one.  It is good to have each other.

Did you know it is the same way with God’s church?  Jesus calls the local church “His bride”.  Not only does Jesus love us, He is married to us.  (Matthew 9:15, John 3:29, Revelation 19:17)  It is good to belong to a local church, because it brings out the better qualities in us as Christ followers.  We are one (same as a marriage) with Jesus because of the church.

A few thoughts:

• What kind of marriage would I have if I said that I love my wife, but never came home?  If you call yourself a Christ follower but are not investing yourself in a local church, than you are flat-out living a lie.  You cannot grow in Christ and not belong to a local church.

• What kind of marriage would I have if my wife told me she loved me but I told her I didn't need her?  If you are not in a local church, that is EXACTLY what you are telling Jesus.  (Sorry, but that's the real-deal truth!)

• What kind of relationship would I have if I only stopped in to eat, get my clothes washed, etc. but never communicated with my wife?  As a member of this marriage, it is my responsibility to invest in her.  I need to tend to her needs, listen to her, love her, encourage her, be around her and be intimate with her.  It is the same at your church.  God has equipped you as a Christ follower to use your gifts to encourage others.  Don’t just stop in once or twice a year and eat / get your clothes washed, etc.  Dive in and support others within you church.  Serve one another.  Give 10% of your money and support her.  Be in the family, and not just a user.  If you do attend a church, then volunteer!  Don't just slip in the back door and expect someone else to do the work.  Get plugged in somewhere.  Do you eat dinner and then expect your spouse to clean off the table up after you or do you get up and help after eating?  Why is the church any different?

Truth:  before I met my wife, you should have seen how I dressed!  Nothing matched!  Colors looked terrible together, etc.  She told me things about my appearance that needed to change!  It made me mad, but she was right!  She spoke truth into me and it made me a better person.  When you belong to a local church, you belong to a family.  People are going to speak truth into you and you will become a better person for it. (Proverbs 27:17)  You won’t like it, but you will eventually become a better person for it.  If you are not part of a church, you are on an island, and being on an island is not good.  You begin to believe your own hype, you rationalize everything to fit you way of life.  When you are in a marriage together with other believers, God knocks those edges off of you and molds you into the follower He desires you to be.

Bottom line is this:  If you claim to be a Christ follower but are not invested in a local church, you are living a lie.  Quit making excuses and get plugged in immediately.  It is the way God designed it.