Ever give your word? Marriage? Employer?

Ever give your word? Marriage? Employer?

Know what I mean? In marriage, God brings you into covenant with Himself and a spouse. Your vows are your promise.

With your employer, you enter a contract. You promise certain actions and they promise certain rewards.

How about church membership? When we join in covenant relationship with God as part of the Bride of Christ, we mirror that relational commitment by living out the expression with fellow believers. We give our word. We join a local church as an expression of our place, part, and responsibilities in the living Church that exists around the globe.

Have you joined with a local church? Are you keeping your word?

Do you show up? Do you participate? Do you serve? Do you care for others? Do you receive accountability? Do you give? Do you pray?

In the places, things, and relationships to which we give our word, we ought to keep it.

Where we aren't keeping it, we ought to repent and get back on track.

I love this picture from Revelation 19: "'Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure' — for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints." (vss 6b-8 ESV)

See it? "...his Bride has made herself ready..."

The Bride is the church, a singular Body made up of many members. As a member of the Body that makes up the Bride, are you being faithful? Are you keeping your word? Are you making yourself ready -- both as an individual and as a part of the Body?