Short, Sweet And Ignorant

Short, Sweet and Ignorant

The Consequences of Not Wanting To Hear From God

The Bible says, "Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil." (Ecclesiastes 5:1)

There is common phrase that is often heard from people who have attended weddings, baby dedications and other religious ceremonies, "That was short and sweet, just like I like it." Could this attitude be an reflection of a heart that is not hungry to know what God desire's in regard to:

Marriage: Yes, it is true that all weddings belong to the couple being married, the sin is having wedding ceremonies asking for God's blessings without being hungry to hear: 1.) What a marriage covenant really is from God's prospective. 2.) Not having a Christ centered focus in regard to making marriage vows that express serving each other as you were serving Jesus. 3.) Reminding all who attend the ceremony, they are their brother's keeper. Everyone who bears witness to wedding ceremony are to do their part in praying for, watching over and protecting the marriage covenant as God's plan for man and woman. The liking of short and sweet has kept many ignorant about marriage being God's plan from the very beginning, not the conjecture of mankind. Civil Unions are for those who have no desire to guard their steps in touching the holy institution of marriage, one man, one woman, until death do you part. Jesus makes it very clear, "Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate." (Matthew 19:4-6) Obedience to God's plan for marriage and the desire to seek His moral precepts for men and women is the foundation to guarding your step in touching Holy Matrimony.

Baby Dedications: The conjecture of man in regard to baby dedications are over shadowing God's truths to dedicating a child unto the Lord's intercession, protection and guidance. Many baby dedications have become a service to show off the parents babies in their sweetest outfits, rather than a service preparing parent's and congregations to seek God's perfect will. One pastor wrote, "Our baby dedication services have become an interruption to the theme of the service, rather than the whole service having the theme of dedicating children unto the Lord." (Merrill, D., & Shelley, M. (Eds.). (1984). Fresh ideas for families, youth & children (p. 121). Carol Stream, IL; Waco, TX: Christianity Today; Word Books.) There is a famine of wanting to hear God's truths. Today, most parents want short and sweet, leaving them ignorant to God's truths: 1.) Children are God's gift, what that really involves. (Psalm 127:3) 2.) The challenge, "Will you, by God's help, guidance, and intercession provide a God-fearing, Word filled knowledge home. (Ephesians 6:4; Proverbs 22:6) 3.) Be Biblically equipped to pray for their children. A quality ministry has a complete prayer guide for intercession for children. - (Peterson, E. H., & Miller, C. (1987). Weddings, funerals, & special events (Vol. 10, p. 135). Carol Stream, IL; Waco, TX: Christianity Today, Inc.; Word Books.)

Regarding your step in approaching all religious ceremonies, weddings, baby dedications, baptisms, the Lord's supper (communion), etc. involves having a listening spirit so you are not ignorant in the holy things of God, enabling you to have ceremonies that are pleasing to Him.