We Will!
Recently I attended a wedding for a young lady I have served with while doing missions work. It was a wonderful wedding full of fun little surprises. As a consummate people watcher and lover of the little things in life something caught my attention that I want to share about.
When the couple said their vows they also asked for a congregational covenant. Basically they asked those of us in the congregation to affirm our commitment to bringing them up through their marriage as a congregation and enter into a covenant to be there to advise them, to love them, and to remind them when they are being bone headed. I have not attended a lot of weddings, but I honestly can say that is the first I have seen of that. I liked it; I liked it a lot actually. Marriage is an act performed in front of a community of believers for this very reason. It is so that there will be people to hold you accountable and to inspire you towards holiness in your marriage. God does not need the big ceremony, people do.
The way we responded to the covenant was with a simple “we will” spoken as a congregation. Most of us said it, and then a young boy probably about 3 years old behind me was about ½ a second out of time with the rest of the congregation. He said “we will” in just enough different of a tone and timing that those of us around him could hear him very well. It was cute, but also a good reminder that not only is a church, your neighbors, your co-workers watching, but the eyes of children, and one day your children, will be watching you as well.
In Matthew 18:6 Jesus was straight and to the point and as serious as a heart attack when he said these words:
“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.” (ESV)
There is so much of what we do as adults, and in the name of Christ cause little ones to stumble. It is incumbent upon those of us who bear then name and the mark of the covenant with Jesus to act and behave in such a manner that glorifies him. Marriage is one of those things that we can glorify him in, and in the process grow deeper and deeper in our understanding of him. Poor marriages are being watched whether we choose to believe it or not. Little eyes are always watching, even if you do not have children. Your nieces and nephews, your neighborhood children, the kids in Church can all see right to the heart of things. It is only when we “grow up” that we lose some of that discernment.
When I was a young man I remember my mother being prevailed upon by the Pastor to lead a Sunday school class. My mom was a mature woman of God and would have done wonderfully, especially since she would not be teaching my class. He asked regularly for about a year. Finally she responded that she just did not want the responsibility of leading young children. I thought that was a little odd then, but today I understand. In some ways it is those who lead the little children that will be held at a higher degree of responsibility then the rest of us.
A few of my regular readers of this blog are soon to have children. First congratulations, and second, make sure your spiritual house is in order because children are a megaphone that will either magnify the good things about you, or magnify the bad. When they affirm them bad in you I hope you listen, God is talking.
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