thoughts from the bridesmaid

[chestnutcurls]

I've never been a bride, but it seems like a pretty great thing to be. Sure, you have some stress over picking a dress and booking the caterer and everything, but really, you're more pampered than you'll ever be again in your life. For the length of your engagement, you have people giving you presents and throwing you parties and congratulating you and fussing over you. And then, at the end of all that, you get a husband! All that cool stuff, and love too, and you haven't done anything to deserve it. It's just yours. It makes me feel sort of wistful and maybe a little resentful. It doesn't seem fair.

But we are the Bride of Christ. And life is our engagement. We have some stress here on earth, but He blesses us with so many good things. And at the end of it all, we get to be with our Husband, forever. All the joys of life, and real love, too. And we didn't do anything to deserve it; we deserve the opposite. It's not fair. But it's by His grace. And even if I am never an earthly bride, I am part of the Church, the Bride of all time.

Comments

[moredetails.livejournal.com]

Yes, good analogy. Plus, with God we KNOW it's going to be awesome and better once we go to heaven. In life on earth with an earthly husband, there are times when it's way harder than it was before, and sometimes we will long for our single life again. :)

[chestnutcurls.livejournal.com]

True. Because God is perfect, and men (and women) are not. :) I know, earthly marriage is not always great, but I wouldn't marry someone unless I was pretty sure it would be. :)

Lines from a hymn

[greenhornet.livejournal.com]

O glorious Bridegroom of our hearts,
Your present smile a heav’n imparts!
O lift the veil, if veil there be,
Let every saint Your glory see!

The whole hymn is here: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/misc/search.htm?001444331757414008

Be warned a midi starts playing

[b1ff.livejournal.com]

so husbands are commanded in Eph 5:25-29 to love their wives as 'Christ loves the church and gave Himself up for her ... cleansing her to present her w/o spot or blemish'. Besides being a huge task that says 'Only with the Lords help' written all over it, what do you think this cleansing idea means as far as husbands and wives go? Christ sanctifies the Church, washing individual members, (even judging and breaking out some, but thats another discussion).. for example i know of a wife who said that her husband corrects and helps her actually compensate/grow out of specific faults spiritual or otherwise.

Does anyone know of good examples of these vss as applied to marriages?

[chestnutcurls.livejournal.com]

Well, the husband is the head of the wife. So he's responsible for her spiritual well-being. I don't think the "cleansing" metaphor goes that far, since only Christ can cleanse us of our sins. A husband is just as sinful as his wife, and has no ability or right to "cleanse" her. But in the intimacy of marriage, he should know where she is spiritually, and guide her. If she's in sin, he should confront her about it. If she needs prayer and help in a certain area, he should help her. If she has questions, he should help her find the Scriptual answers. And he should also be extra committed to doing these things for himself, not only for his own good, but also so he can be better equipped to lead his wife. That's what I think it means to be a spiritual leader. (That's what I look for in a man. :))