I went to a wedding shower today. And it was kind of perfect. The young couple surrounded by family and friends, so genuinely in love, and so happy to celebrate their life together. There were smiles and laughter and really, really good cupcakes. When you left you knew you had been in the presence of love and hopefulness and a Lord, bless em kind of optimism.
My sweet young friends are getting married because they love each and call each other beautiful. I doubt their answers to the question of why are you getting married would even be close to the following:
Eh, my parents did. Guess I will, too.
Good people get married.
It's what I'm supposed to do.
All my friends are doing it.
Heaven help us if this is why we come into marriage. Marriage is hard, y'all. And it's just not going to work if we come into that sacred relationship not recognizing it for the beauty and wonder that it can have.
Isn't it the same with our relationship with Jesus?
I read an article today by John Piper. He was criticizing something called Pascal's Wager. To put it simply this theory says we should follow Christ because what if He's real? This argument says we should come to Christ because what have we lost if He's not real? And what have we gained if He is?
IF.
So I've come to my so-called salvation not out of the goodness of Jesus, but because I don't really have anything better to do.
Eh, my parents are Christians. Guess I will be, too.
Good people are Christians.
It's what I'm supposed to do.
All my friends go to church.
These sentiments make not a good marriage. These same sentiments make not a good rationale for coming to Jesus.
Piper goes on to say the most striking thing that has sat in my heart and mind all day:
"You don't know if Christ is who he says he is. And you are not drawn to trust him by his greatness or beauty or worth."
Why are we drawn to Jesus? And what keeps us coming back to him?
Oh, friend. If we only come to Jesus out of obligation or emotional pressure or what if we are missing the entire point.
Come to Jesus because He is great. Come to Jesus because He is beautiful. Come to Jesus because He is worthy!
A faith that carries us through life sees Jesus for Who He is, not just what He can get me.
A good marriage is based on love, not on what ifs.
And our good relationship with our good Jesus deserves no less. Jesus deserves more than a half-hearted wager. He deserves our full heart of love.
For further reading (especially if you are a teacher of children and teenagers in the church):
The Wrong Strategy in Sunday School (Why Pascal's Wager Fails Children) by John Piper
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