Pinterest Theology

A few months ago I got a Pinterest. I began to notice a strange phenomenon that you may have picked up on. A lot of my friends have a board for wedding ideas, a BIG board, yet they are single. Some are engaged, some are dating, some aren’t seeing anyone. Yet this “wedding board” is the biggest one they have, and it dominates their Pinterest attention. It isn’t bad to have a wedding board; it is a great way to gather ideas, even if you aren’t planning a wedding right now- you may be planning one sometime in the future. But, as a point of clarification, I must also add that many people do spend an unhealthy amount of time focusing on a wedding that has yet to exist. It is so imperative that each person examine their heart to be sure a wedding/marriage isn’t a idol. But, on to the main point…
In studying the Holy Scriptures recently, I have come across a great deal of imagery that refers to Christ as the Bridegroom and the Church as the Bride. I’m familiar with this imagery, but I’m at the point of life where I have been attending a lot of weddings and have a lot of friends getting married. I’m sure you’re no stranger to the “___________days until I get to marry my best friend!” facebook status, either. Being at this point in life, this metaphor has taken on more meaning for me. Even if you don’t know someone well, you know if they are engaged. It is nearly all that they talk about. They are SO excited, they count down the days, spend countless hours planning the ceremony, the reception, writing invitations, having bridal showers- the activities are endless. There is a great deal of effort that goes in to planning a wedding.
How often do we apply the same amount of effort in to our walk with Christ? We have Pinterest boards full of ideas for a future wedding day, yet we don’t seem to spend much time anxiously awaiting the return of Christ. Do we hope for the Great Wedding Feast of the Lamb? Will we even be able to recognize our Groom when He comes to get us? Will we arrive in white, or have we completely forgotten that there is a wedding that day? Brides exercise for weeks and months before their wedding to be in prime shape for their wedding night. They shop and try on countless dresses before they find “the one.” However, I rarely meet people who put that same energy in to their walk with Christ. I hope I am not the only one struggling with this! It is nice to imagine that I would be married one day, but it is imperative that I realize that is NOT my life goal. That is not the source of happiness, security, or future hope. Jesus is the source of my happiness, my security, and my future hope. I need to spend my time preparing for the great wedding that awaits all of us in Christ. I want to arrive ready, anxious to see my Groom.
Historically, a couple that was betrothed didn’t have a wedding date specified. The groom would be preparing a house for the family, and once it was finished, he would send word and come to get his bride. She had little notice, so she had to constantly be ready. Is it not the same with us? Our Savior has gone to prepare a house for us, and has told us that He is coming soon. So we must be ready! He will show up one day to call us home, and we have to be prepared. We must be “planning our wedding” now so that we are not unprepared when the groom comes. I must be actively engaged in “bridal boot camp,” constantly exercising my spiritual muscles. I must get to know the Groom so that I recognize Him when He comes; I want to be beautiful for Him when He arrives. Having been in a couple weddings, I have seen the amount of effort brides put in to getting ready the morning of the wedding- it takes HOURS. I was to be presented to my Groom “spotless and without blemish,” which can only happen through Christ. But it takes effort on my part. I must be putting sin to death in my life. I pray we would continue on in this mindset, anxiously awaiting the arrival of our Groom.