LifeLink Devotions for Tuesday, February 4, 2025

When I got married almost 49 years ago, I gave my bride a ring, and she gave one to me. It was to be an acknowledgment of our lifelong love for each other and a testimony to others that we were in a committed relationship that didn’t allow for any distractions. But the ring itself does not acknowledge who my wife is, it simply bears witness to others that I have one. It is up to me to acknowledge who she is and introduce her to people.

What would you think of a man or woman who wears their wedding ring some of the time but takes it off in other situations? You would doubt that person’s commitment, right?

That’s the point I want us to see from Proverbs 3:6. “In all your ways acknowledge Him…”

Consider the similarity between wearing a wedding ring and wearing a cross. Both are supposed to signify a committed relationship. But does the wearer always represent the relationship in every part of their life? What do you think is the commitment level of a man wearing a wedding ring while sitting in a bar flirting with other women? How dedicated to the relationship is a woman wearing a wedding ring while she dreams of the life she could have in the romance novel she is reading? And how committed to Jesus Christ is the person who says they have taken up the cross of Christ yet dabbles in the addiction to self-gratification from the world?

The wisdom of God encourages us to acknowledge our relationship with Him in every aspect of our lives, and to reveal Him to others by our lifestyle choices. We may go to church, read our Bible, and even wear a cross, but those things only reveal that we are in a relationship. To acknowledge God means to reveal Him to others.

In my early days of marriage, I didn’t do that very well. When I entered a room my type A personality took over and I stood out in front of my wife to relate to people. She was there, but I did not acknowledge her. It was shameful.

Is that how you treat Jesus? Do your desires and preferences take priority over acknowledging Christ in every aspect of your life? Start changing that today. Don’t be satisfied to just know in your heart that you belong to Jesus. Let it show to everyone else.

Pastor John