Where to practise Jesus?

Will be conducting another wedding this Saturday. 99 % of weddings that I have conducted or attended are memorably beautiful; but I can't say that for marriages of those weddings.

It is wonderful to see couples that came through years of thick and thin, the ups and downs together, holding hands and exchanging glances at one another during weddings. Some couples stay away from weddings for just any other reasons. You know what I mean?

Genesis 1:26 declares to us that God created both male and female in His Image. The picture of a man and a woman living under the covering of God's authority and blessings reflects His Image and Glory.

In our redemption and salvation, God initiates again the process of conforming us back into His Image in Christ Jesus [ Rom 8: 28-29 ]. I believe that the marriages relationship provides to us one of the best opportunity for us to practise becoming and being Jesus to the other. Against all the dreams of what the other person will fulfilled in your life as married people is the reality that two different humans is about to embark on a journey of self and other discovery in everyday situations. In this process, most people will discover and be convinced the need for the other person to change more than oneself. There's where the dreams can sag into frustrations or disillusions. On the other hand if we are conscious of the "Big" purpose of God in this "two becoming one" project, we would take a bended posture and allow Him to bring about our personal transformation to practise being and becoming like Jesus.

Sometimes we pat ourself because we have practise Jesus by visiting and ministering at orphanages or old folks home during the Christmas Season or going into a poorer nation to do street/social ministry for 2 weeks or 2 months. What's the real training ground? It is in our everyday encounter with our closest neighbor - our spouse.

What a lovely sight to behold when the new couple walks down the isle hand in hand after the wedding vows. But a greater loveliness is sung when older couples walk hand in hand, even with a tongkat [ walking stick ] as a sign of their years together.

Thanks be to God for His ever available Grace.