In just over four days, I will be a married man. I’ve known this day was coming for a while now (shocking I know), but this week it has become real to me. Not a scared or nervous real, but just real. Planning a wedding is an interesting process. A special thanks to Google and TheKnot.com for helping us do it without a wedding planner haha. It has had its ups and downs, but there has been one thing we have heard a lot throughout the process. There has been a phrase that has been said many times by many people, “It’s not my wedding…”
Angela and I don’t take that as an insult, but view more as a compliment. When planning our wedding, we had a goal. We wanted the wedding to represent who we were. We want it to be fun, exciting, and interactive. That goal has caused us to go off the beaten path a few times in planning the wedding. It made us take the rules of what is “normal” and throw them out the window. We haven’t worried that much about what people would think (except maybe our parents) and went with what we wanted. We’ve never heard of a meatball bar at a wedding, but it sounded pretty awesome and the meatballs that Big Jim makes are amazing so we went with it. White was one of our colors, so why not have the groomsmen wear white tuxes? Twitter is pretty big right now, so we created a hashtag and are encouraging people to tweet during the ceremony (#NAwedding). We both think that sitting in a sanctuary waiting for a wedding to start is pretty boring, so we created a PowerPoint full of videos, trivia, and more. We are both very passionate about NC State football and will be showing the game at our reception (I even picked out the date based on who NC State’s opponent would be). We haven’t been afraid to step outside the normal flow and go the other way. After our wedding, people will know that it was a reflection of who Angela and I are.
God has called us to be bold and unashamed of who we are. He has called us to stand out in this world. Romans 12:2 tells us, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” It is easy to make ourselves blend in though. It’s easy to convince ourselves that we don’t know enough or aren’t good enough to represent God. It’s easy to be scared of what people will think of us when we step out in faith. When you really look at it though, it really just comes down to the fact that we are prideful and don’t trust God.
Matthew 5:16 says, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Jesus tells us to let our light shine. He tells us to be the light stands out in the darkness. But what will I say God? What will my friends think? What if I don’t know all the answers? Jeremiah asked God these questions and God replied, “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.” (Jeremiah 1:9-10). God tells us not to worry about it because He will take care of it. If we just take that step of faith to stand out, God will lead us.
So I encourage you to not give into the fears and worries. If Jesus is your savior, then make a stand for Him. Let you light shine into the darkness. Go boldly and share the message of His love and mercy. Stand out among the crowd. Don’t be afraid to be different. Don’t be afraid to go against the norm. Just like Angela and my’s wedding represents who we are, let your life represent who you are: a sinner set free by the blood of Christ.
If Jesus isn’t your savior, I’d encourage you to talk to someone about it. Jesus can set you free from all your sins, your worries, and your fears. He can fill you with peace and love. Shoot me an email or talk to a Christian friend. It is the most important decision you can make.
until next time…
Discussion Question: What makes you you?