Are You Being Friendly or Are You Married?

a Sonbeam from warren and mary beth

The sign saying "Puppies for Sale" is still out in front of our home advertising the remaining four DalmaDane puppies. Rays of sunshine are piercing the overcast skies just enough to allow me to write this morning.

Next door, our neighbor's front door swings open and Kaye Castenada heads out to get something from their van. As she turns to go back inside, we both wave a good morning to each other. That's Henderson Texas for you…... being friendly.

Inside our home, Mary Beth is puttering around in our kitchen, waiting for some of our visiting children to come downstairs. She and I are much more than just friendly with one another….. we are married! Ours is a lifelong commitment sealed by God for loving, honoring, encouraging, cherishing, [all the warm and fuzzy stuff, of course]….. and upholding each other above everyone else.

Being married is like what God wants with each of us. Unfortunately, many people treat Him only in a friendly way….. speaking to Him in passing….. or going to Him like someone asking their neighbor for a cup of sugar. Our Father wants more than just a simple wave and a good morning now and then.

God loves each one of us and desires to be our forever faithful partner in every thing we say and all we do. His rightful place in our life is above even our wife or husband, parents, or our children.

When we are more than just friendly with God, when we let God be Lord of our life……when we bond with Him like in a marriage……then and only then are we on the road to becoming what He desires for us to be………deeply committed to loving Him.

Into His Word

"You cannot be my disciple, unless you love me more than you love your father and mother, your wife and children, and your brothers and sisters. You cannot come with me unless you love me more than you love your own life." Luke 14:26 Contemporary English Version

"Love God, all you saints; God takes care of all who stay close to him, but he pays back in full those arrogant enough to go it alone." Psalm 31:23 The Message

"This is how we know we're living steadily and deeply in him, and he in us: He's given us life from his life, from his very own Spirit. Also, we've seen for ourselves and continue to state openly that the Father sent his Son as Savior of the world." 1 John 4:13-14 The Message.