My youngest sister is getting married at the end of the month, and I will be flying back east to attend. Weddings have always been stressful events for my family, maybe because we have had so many through the years. (Growing up in a family with seven girls, we have had five full weddings.) You would think by now it would be old hat, but we are all unique, and what works for one will not work for the other so the struggle continues. What will the colors be? What kind of flowers? Where are you going to have the wedding? How are we going to get there? Who will be responsible for what? And so on…
For those with enough money to pay a wedding planner these questions may not seem to be such a big deal, but for my family, we ARE the wedding! The Bride, Mother of the Bride, Family of the Bride, Wedding planners, caterers, cake decorators, church decorators and cleanup crew. Add to that, that we have a hard time making decisions and you get the picture of what our weddings are like. Don’t get me wrong we have all had very nice weddings, but the stress is real.
One of the hardest things is always deciding what to wear. We are very casual people by nature, until it’s time for a wedding, then we realize that we have no cloths for a wedding, which results in a shopping frenzy. And as we get closer to the wedding we start to think we’ll never find the right thing to wear, the colors are out of season, they don’t have the right size or my feet are huge, how can I find something that looks good and fits?. (No joke, I got married barefoot as I have man sized feet and you can’t be the bride and wear men’s shoes!)
Anyway, why all this rambling about weddings and clothes? You ask. Well because it got me thinking about the wedding that Jesus told us about in Matthew 22:1-14, and how these invited didn’t want to come and some of those that came didn’t get dressed for the wedding. I don’t know about you but I don’t want to be looking for clothing at the last minute for that wedding. What could be worse than showing up for the KINGS wedding and not have wedding clothes! In Revelation 3:1-6, Jesus tells the Church in Sardis, “ ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. 3 Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. 4 You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. 5 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.’” Jesus seems to be saying that we can forget what we have learned and not applied it to ourselves, all the while believing that we have been walking in the teaching.
Wow! I’m guilty of reading my bible and thinking I’m good, but forgetting that it is the doer of the word that is justified and not the hearer. (James 2:14-17) We have to believe and act to have clothing for the wedding. If we act without belief we are trusting in ourselves and it will not count in the end. Also in the same way if we believe and nothing changes in your life, you have believed in the wrong thing!
So, just asking are YOU dressed for the wedding? We’re all invited! I know I have room for improvement.
Lord, Help us to Remember, Hold Fast, and Repent! We want to have all the clothes we need for your wedding.
Blessings, Deborah
Revelation 19:5-8
5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!”
6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! 7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.