If Only...

      Last weekend, I attended a college friend's wedding and was particularly impressed by the difference between this wedding, and a couple others I've attended. The difference was that at this wedding they put God first. 

      A friend who spent some time working in the secular industry mentioned that very thing to me yesterday. It makes such a huge difference when God is actually the focus of your wedding. I don't mean the wrote of traditional wedding vows or just including all the pertinent Scripture verses(though both of those can be and are good things), I mean when the Bride and Groom are both genuinely committed to putting God first. When the entire wedding party is committed to putting God first. When the entire congregation is committed to putting God first. 

      It all comes right. 

      It got me thinking: how many other things in this world are broken by the world and put right by Christ?

       I ended up jotting down some of my thoughts in a journal, which I'll share here.

       If we could only do the things we were meant to do, life would be so much better. If everyone tended his own garden rather than peeping over the wall at his neighbor's, so much strive and sorrow would be averted. If only we could make ourselves do the hard things, to be so exhausted at day's end that we go to bed instead of sitting up 'till midnight frittering away our time by minding everyone's business except our own.

      If only we tried to actually love our neighbors as ourselves.

     If only we spent more of our time on things of beauty--things which actually matter.

      If only we participated in more construction rather than destruction.

      If only we abstained from idle words. 

     If only we held the marriage bed in honor.

      If only we put Christ at the top of our lives.

      If only...the list goes on and on.

I include myself in this indictment. When will we see clearly that sin destroys? It eats away at the flesh and scrapes the bones dry. Have we no dignity, no honour, no love?

      We need Christ more than ever. "Christ above us, Christ beneath us, Christ beside us, Christ before us..." Why do we run from Him? Why flee from The One who holds out His arms and says, "Come to me, all ye who are weary and heavy laden, and shall give you rest."?

      Oh, friends, is this too difficult for us? Do we bear lightly the name of Christ? Do we live as if we were on vacation rather than on assignment?

       By no means should we be dull and dour. I am advocating joy, for sin only brings misery, and carnality lays a very heavy burden on the backs of men. Still, we willingly bear it and weep tears of anguish behind our grinning masks. Why do we put up with it? Why do we allow the little foxes to run in and spoil our vineyards?

       If only, my friends, if only sin were vanquished. It will be, if we let Christ our King lead us into battle. Who will join me? This is a happier revolution than any we have been called to join. 

       I want to see more God honouring weddings. I want to see fewer busy-bodies, and more busy people. I want to see more strong people stooping to lift the weak, and more hungry being fed by the satisfied. This is not the job of the government, money, social status, intelligence, logic, or the ubiquitous "Someone else." This is your job, my job, right here, right now and wherever and with whomever God may place us in the future. 

       If only...

One of my very favorite hymns seems applicable in this case. I suppose the imagery of a battle makes it all come into clearer perspective for me. Now, if only there were a really good version of this song on youtube. I think this will have to go on my list of hymns that I want to arrange for choir. 

     For now, this will have to do:

    I think what I want to take away from this wedding and my thoughts plastered all over this post is that we cannot win a war by sitting in the office planning battle strategies. God has given us our marching orders. We must now go out and execute them.

         "The crown awaits the conquest, lead on O God of might!"

       Now you know what's going through my head next time you see me at a wedding. ;) 

          ~ Christianna