Youthful loyalty: ride or die love.

Sunday morning, three couples were called up to the pulpit for an announcement. I asked my cousin which couple she thought was the most recently wedded of the three. She selected the young couple on the right. Jokingly, I indicated it was actually the elder couple, standing in the middle. I actually lacked knowledge of the accuracy of this information. Based on our brief visual observation, we settled on the same couple.

Of the three couples, the couple we selected was joined at the hip. They held hands throughout the announcement and their hands were interlocked. Also, the wife had a huge smile on her face and the husband looked happy as well.

Another couple was seated near us and my cousin said: “they’re newlyweds” and I immediately agreed.

One thing I usually pray for newlyweds is that their love for each other would continue to grow stronger than the day before. I don’t believe the honeymoon phase should apply to Christ-centered marriages.

The honeymoon phase is part of a Psychology theory identifying different stages of love. The honeymoon phase lasts for X amount of time and once the honeymoon phase wears off, your love begins to fade, beginning a cycle of weaker stages and some sprouts of rekindled love.

I admire families where the spouses have been married for years and their love is so strong that it also transfers to their children. For example, there is a particular family I have in mind, if you just watch for a few seconds you will see what cannot really be expressed in words; from the infant daughter to the eldest son. After listening to the father speak a couple times, I understood how they make it work.

“When you’re really in love no one has to tell you how to act; it just comes naturally.” ¬-JBP

Take these two popular love song statements: “Don’t you remember you told me you loved me, baby?” and “I will always love you.” Try to imagine your spouse saying that to you after years of marriage. Try to imagine the LORD saying that to you.

During the 4pm intercession, Wednesday, the director ministered from Jeremiah 2:2-3 for communion.

“I remember your youthful loyalty, our love as newlyweds. You stayed with me through the wilderness years, stuck with me through all the hard places. Israel was God's holy choice, the pick of the crop. Anyone who laid a hand on her would soon wish he hadn't!'" God's Decree. (The Message)

Everyone has an individual Book of Remembrance that is currently being transcribed as we live out our lives with our free will and voluntary obedience. There are days that the LORD is going to mark, remembering our loyal devotion to Him. The days where we loved him loyally in our wilderness, like the love newlyweds have for each other. The days where we were “ride or die” with Him.

Ride or die is urban vernacular referring to a lover, usually of your youth, who was with you through it all, before you attained any level of success. Likewise, if you lost everything they would still be with you, faithfully.

There are some people who may be going through a wilderness season, but as long as they are faithful in their love, loyalty and devotion, the Lord sees it all. It is during some of your seasons in the wilderness where the LORD remembers the way you loved Him just as He marked the way the Israelites loved Him in the wilderness.

I don’t want to be a compromise Christian, when it comes to the perceived seasons of wilderness or uncertainty. I don’t want my love to be dull or my loyalty to fade. I don’t want to be a borderline Christian, a borderline lover of Christ. The border is too close to unbelief, doubt and wickedness. The borderline is lukewarm.

I want my love to be stronger than the day before. I want my loyalty to be God-fearing like that of Job, knowing that I am not my own, and without Him I can do nothing. I want my devotion to be steadfast like David constantly searching after my Father’s heart. I want my Father to remember my love for Him, similar to the way the Israelites loved Him in the wilderness. I want to possess a youthful loyalty worthy of being marked in my Book of Remembrance.

“I want to love You well, in this betrothal, until we meet again, may I spend my time wisely.” – Caleb Andrews