Continuing my read through Revelation, my attention was held by 19:7-8, talking about the wedding of the Lamb (Jesus) and His bride (the church). As a part of the bride of Christ, how am I making myself ready for Him? How am I making the other parts of the bride ready for Him? As I explored on Sunday, godliness is not done alone. If I'm not doing my part to make the bride ready, am I truly part of the bride? Let me put it another way: Jesus is a gentleman. He doesn't force Himself on us against our will. But He is coming again, He is returning for His bride, and she will have made herself ready, dressed in the fine linen (the righteous acts of the saints) given her to wear. If there are righteous acts we have been given by God to do, part of getting ready for Him, part of being His bride, part of being godly is doing them. They are not our own works, they are His, and for His glory, but we put them on. They don't save us, Jesus did that, He's not coming back for fine linen but for His bride, but if we take our role as the bride seriously (and we should), we will be doing those works for His sake, to beautify ourselves so that He sees us at our best when He returns.
All of this fits so well with the Godly Man Project, I just have to make sure I apply this knowledge - I want God to find me at my best because He deserves my best, not because I am forced to. There lies the paradox - because of this reason, I will force myself to give my best, if necessary.
God, You deserve the very best of me - the best of my time, the best of my effort, the best of everything about me. I don't begrudge it, because You gave it all to me in the first place, and besides that You gave Your best to me. May I behave as Your bride ought, making myself and other Christians ready for You. Amen.
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