Summer is on its way and for many, it’s wedding season. We at Women Today want to celebrate your special day with you and help you prepare for a lifetime together. Over the next few months we’ll run a series of articles for new brides.
You can read these articles on your own, or take part in our online study course and walk through them with an email mentor. I’m sure you have a lot of questions, we’d love the chance to chat. Congratulations! We hope that this series helps you prepare for a beautiful wedding and a marriage that lasts a lifetime.
Chosen! The joy of knowing you are loved
Chosen! In most marriages today, the bride knows she has been chosen by her beloved. How exciting it is to know that someone has taken time to get to know you, has grown in his love and commitment to you, and has accepted you! You too, are choosing a future with this man.
In a similar way, God has chosen to love you. No matter who you are, or what you’ve done, I can say with certainty that He has chosen to love you deeply, and desires your best. Perhaps you have chosen to make a commitment to Him, or maybe you are just beginning to learn of His love for you, and are not yet certain of any commitment. Either way, we invite you to share in this series and welcome you to join the free online course.
The beginning of love
The acquaintance deepened into respect and a growing friendship, and as you shared, you sensed a growing commitment to the good of one another. Oh, “just friends” you may have said, yet there was a sense that something was taking root in your heart. You found yourself watching for him, wondering what he’d think about something you saw, or wishing you’d run into him once again before you called it a day.
Your conversations together likely became much broader, touching on subjects that you may never have discussed with anyone else. (I remember the day I was asked, “What, ma’am, do you think of bullfrogs?“) They likely became far deeper, too, as you learned to share your heart, your feelings, your dreams. In learning to listen well to one another you found a safe place of acceptance and love. The ring of the telephone or the memory of his smile made your heart skip a beat, and you knew how precious your relationship was becoming.
Will you marry me?
Then one day, he “popped the question”! Whether in a formal restaurant, proclaimed on a billboard, or in the midst of an unsuspecting daily moment, he declared his love. Perhaps he asked your father first, or maybe you’d discussed it in general terms. Maybe you were even the one who finally said, “Will you marry me?” You have each chosen to spend the rest of your lives together.
Chosen--even the word brings a smile to one’s heart. Someone knows so much about you, loves and accepts you, and actually wants to spend the rest of his life with you. How grand!
Such a love, such a decision, is a gift from God, and I do believe it must make Him smile. It reflects His heart for you as well! You may not yet know how much God loves you, but the truth is that He chose to love you before you were even born. There is a verse in the Bible that says “We love God because He loved us first”. God loves you and wants to have a place in your life, and in your marriage.
Marriage is not easy – any look at statistics will tell you that – but a good marriage, a marriage where both partners are unconditionally loved is well worth the effort. Take a look at your life as you prepare to be married. How would you describe it? Contented? Rushed? Exciting? Stressful? Moving forward? Holding back? For many of us it’s all of the above at times.
There are things we dream of doing one day, there are things we wish we could forget. You are embarking on a whole new life, maybe this is the time to invite God to be a part of it. In the Bible, it says that Jesus came to make all things new. What would your life look like if you could start over with a clean slate?
Living with hope
If you are looking for peace, there is a way to balance your life. No one can be perfect, or have a perfect life. But every one of us has the opportunity to experience perfect grace through a personal relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.
You can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer. Praying is simply talking to God. God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. Here's a suggested prayer:
Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life to you and ask you to come in as my Savior and Lord. Take control of my life. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make me the kind of person you want me to be.
Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? You can pray it right now, and Jesus Christ will come into your life, just as He promised.
Is this the life for you?
If you invited Christ into your life, thank God often that He is in your life, that He will never leave you and that you have eternal life. As you learn more about your relationship with God, and how much He loves you, you'll experience life to the fullest.
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