|
It was a wedding like no other I had ever seen.
Maybe I've only been to Christian weddings in the past... Maybe that's why the fact that the word "God" was never mentioned in the entire ceremony seemed so strange... But the fact that the officiant wasn't a minister and there was no mention of Bible passages or God's blessings just seemed odd to me. Like somehow the couple weren't truly married...Even though they now have a certificate saying they are...
Why was God so completely closed out of this particular wedding?
The answer is simple: neither the bride nor the groom believe in God ...
In all honesty, I have to admire this particular couple. After all, if you don't believe in God, then why bring Him into your wedding ceremony? Why have someone up there talking about something that you don't believe in?
So what is the take away from this unusual wedding?
Just this: No one should pretend to be something that they are not. If you profess atheism, then you shouldn't mention God or the Bible in your wedding ceremony. And equally, if you profess Christianity, then you should absolutely make God the centre of your ceremony!
Not that I am necessarily condoning a wedding ceremony that doesn't mention the word "God". It's just that I've been with plenty of professed Christians who don't seem to ever talk about God -- unless it is attached to the abbreviation OMG! Yet, when I'm with people of other religions, they always seem so happy to talk about their beliefs. The fact is, when someone isn't comfortable talking about God, even when they profess to be a Christian, then you have to wonder if God is all that important to them! Maybe they are even a bit ... ashamed of God!
God wants us to be real. Not pretend. Although I'm pretty sure a wedding ceremony without mention of God makes Him sad, those who claim to be His followers but who never talk about Him must make Him feel even sadder.
Unfortunately, this isn't a new concept at all. The Bible speaks of this same kind of scenario: "And so the Lord says, 'These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.'" (Isaiah 29:13 NLT). In fact, God goes on to call these people by a very harsh name: Hypocrite! "Because of this, I will once again astound these hypocrites with amazing wonders. The wisdom of the wise will pass away, and the intelligence of the intelligent will disappear." (vs 14).
God wants genuine people. He wants us to truly be on fire for Him, not just claim to be Christians: "Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them..." (Matt 6:1a ESV). And He has some pretty harsh things to say for those do nothing more than claim to be Christian:
- "..., for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven." (Matt 6:1 ESV)
- “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward." (Matt 6:5 ESV)
- "They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work." (Titus 1:16 ESV)
- "Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God?" (Romans 2:3 ESV)
And the list could go on and on.
I would urge all of us to be a bit more like the couple of who left God out of their marriage: Be real. Be genuine! Don't let your actions speak differently than your words. If you love God, let your actions show it! But if you don't, then don't try to pretend that you do, for God sees right through that facade!
In His love,
Lyn
Lynona Gordon Chaffart
Moderator and Associate Director, Answers2Prayer Ministries
|
