MY Bride...

Like most dad’s turned granddads I have begun to think that maybe we had too many rules in my house when my sons were growing up.  Actually it’d be better to say that we had rules and we had laws.  We had some rules that most folks have like brush your teeth before bedtime and a curfew when they got a little older. Then we had some rules that were rather strange to most but for some reason important to one or the other of us. For instance, I had a rule that when you came home from school you couldn’t put your book bag down in the foyer or den, you had to take it to your room.  Then there was a rule - it was a cardinal rule.  It’s one that I wouldn’t change or amend - “You better never talk bad about or mistreat my wife.”  Yes, she was also their mom, but I let them know she was my wife before she was their mom and that when they leave home and get their own families she will still be my wife.  And I will not put up with you mistreating her in any way.  No, I’m not implying that she is/was/will be perfect - that wasn’t the point - the point was simple - she’s my wife and I won’t put up with it.  I’ve felt that way about others too. Churches I’ve worked with, they can mistreat me but you better not her. Now, as much as one might think this article is about me or Mel it’s not - it’s about Christ and about the church - His bride.  And as much as it makes me mad in all my “humanness” I can only imagine how mad Christ must get when people run down the Bride He loves.  I have given my heart, my possessions and my energies to my wife, but I have not given my Life, my Blood for her as did Christ (Acts 20:28).  When you are critical of the church of the Lord, it makes me sad and sometimes mad - I can only imagine how it makes Christ feel (Acts 26:14).

And for some who might say something like: “We can talk bad about each other but if someone else talks bad about the church it’s fighting words.” Stop deceiving yourself - if you talk bad about your spouse you’ve got a problem.

And...just in case I wasn’t clear - if you talk bad about mine you do to. And if you talk bad about Christ’s you have a huge one!