Tom swallowed hard, mustered all his courage and confidently said, “Sarah, I knew from the first time we met that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?” Immediately following these words, Tom opened a ring box displaying a beautiful diamond ring. For a moment, Sarah’s breath was taken from her, then with teary eyes, she excitedly said, “Yes! Of course I’ll marry you!”
Sarah looked at the beautiful diamond ring that Tom placed on her finger and could hardly believe it was hers.
As the evening progressed, Tom and Sarah talked about their future together. It was a perfect evening. Then before Tom took Sarah home, he asked her if she wanted to go shopping with him for a wedding dress the next day. Sarah thought for a moment and said, “As much as I would like to, I just can’t. You see, I have a date with Bob tomorrow.” “What?!, Tom questioned. “You can’t go on a date with Bob; we’re engaged to be married!” “Whoa, whoa, wait just a minute, Tom,” said Sarah. “I agreed to marry you and all, but you don’t run my life. Just because we’re engaged doesn’t mean you have the right to tell me what I can and cannot do and who I can and cannot see. Listen, I’ll wear your ring, but don’t tell me what to do.”
Ridiculous, isn’t it? This would never happen…or would it? Actually, I’m afraid it happens all too often; Not among young men and women who desire to get married, (they have better sense than this), but among people who want a relationship with Jesus.
Many people are overjoyed by the salvation Jesus offers them. Excitedly they accept his offer of forgiveness, but then have the nerve to tell him he has no claim on their lives. They expect him to leave them alone to do the same things they used to do and see the same people they used to see. They want to “wear the ring,” but they don’t want the commitment.
You tell me, do you think this would be a workable arrangement? Do you think a man would be engaged to a woman and with his permission, allow her to continue dating others? If not, do you think it would be any different with regard to one’s relationship with Jesus? Give it some thought.