Making the BRIDE beautiful for her BELOVED

There’s a well-known story about three men laying bricks that speaks profoundly about motivation. When a passer-by asks what they are doing, the first responds dejectedly that he is simply putting one brick on top of the other. The next man answers with a bit more spirit and says that he is building a wall. But the third man is full of enthusiasm and exclaims: “I am building a cathedral!”.

For those of us who are involved in taking a healing journey, both for ourselves as well as alongside others, the question of motivation is inevitable. Why are we doing what we do? What is this all really about? We might answer by saying we are pursuing healing in order to feel better, or even that we are seeking long-term spiritual benefits for our pilgrimage on earth. Both reasons are good and true. But the bigger picture is that we are preparing (ourselves and others) for eternity.

the bigger picture is that we are preparing (ourselves and others) for eternity.

The Bible tells us that we, God’s people, are the Bride of Christ. What does this mean? It means that we belong to Him, that we are loved by Him and that He sees incredible beauty and desirability in each of us! When a bride gets ready to be married, she does all she can to present herself as attractively and lovely as possible for her husband to be. She does this not to earn his love, but rather in response to his love. To know that we are completely loved and accepted causes us to radiate from within. It motivates us to become the best person we can possibly be.

To know that we are completely loved and accepted causes us to radiate from within.

The Bible tells us that Jesus, as our betrothed, is getting things ready in heaven so that we can be with Him in eternity. As a response to His love and commitment to us the Bible says: “The bride has made herself ready” (Revelation 19:8). It is right for us to do all we can for Him in response to the Lord’s unswerving love for us.

How wonderful it is to know that Jesus loves us passionately and that He accepts us fully from the moment we come to Him. Yet this knowledge should not lead us into complacency (thinking ‘He loves me anyway’ so it doesn’t matter how I am) but it should spur us on to love Him in return! John puts things in the right perspective when he talks of us meeting Christ Himself: “… we shall see Him as he is. And everyone who has this hope purifies himself as he is pure” (1 John 3:2-3).

But we might also be painfully aware of our own imperfections. There may be things in our life, in our character, in our hearts or thinking, which we know do not please Him. These things can make us feel like anything other than the ‘pure spotless bride of Christ’ (Ephesians 5:27). Sometimes we simply don’t know how to overcome these issues. Repeated failures may even lead to us giving up on the idea or the possibility of change altogether. It is at times like this that it can help to realise afresh that we are not just putting the effort in for our own benefit but that, ultimately, we are doing this out of love for Him.

Repeated failures may even lead to us giving up on the idea or the possibility of change altogether.

The healing ministry in the Church forms a vital instrument in preparing God’s people for His return. God’s Word says that Jesus is looking for a people without ‘spot, wrinkle or blemish’ so it seems that much work is yet to be done! The healing ministry can effectively contribute to helping people deal with patterns of sin, by overcoming bondage and battles with unholy thoughts. The healing ministry can help people be restored in relationship with God and deal with issues such as fear, mistrust and anxiety so that our hearts can be free to respond in trusting, sincere, loving surrender to Him who loved us first.

The healing ministry can help people be restored in relationship with God

Loving Jesus is the greatest thing we can ever do.

Since the formation of God’s own people, he has told us that loving Him is the greatest commandment for humankind: our efforts to keep the Law fall short and our human love fails. The only possible way of even starting to love Him as we should is by realising the depth of His love for us! As it says: ‘we love Him because he first loved us’. From the place of experientially knowing God’s love for us as expressed in Jesus Christ, we can begin to start loving Him in return. And, when our hearts are filled with His love, we are in a position to also love ‘our neighbour as ourselves’ (Mark 12:31). Jesus said that when we, as His people, show God’s love, the world will take note and many will be drawn to Him. Nothing is more powerful than love.

To sum up, seeing our healing journey from an eternal perspective powerfully motivates us to continually pursue wholeness and holiness. This includes:

• Praying for a deeper understanding of His love for us: “We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). The more we know His love, the more motivated we’ll be in preparing ourselves for eternity with Him.
• Reminding ourselves that we don’t just pursue healing for our own sake, but that our truest motivation lies in pleasing Him.
• Coming alongside others and helping them, both because we want what is best for our brothers and sisters, but also because in this way we are fulfilling God’s heart desire.

With help of the healing ministry, we can step by step be changed into that radiant Bride for Christ which will await Jesus on His return. Many things have been prophetically foretold and, as their fulfilment draws closer, the healing ministry seems more essential now than ever before. God in His great kindness is bringing His Church to see things more and more from His true perspective. Everything we do, we do in anticipation of and preparation for that wonderful day when we see Him face to face. The Bible refers to this moment to come as ‘the marriage Supper of the Lamb’ (Revelation 19:7-10). What a day that will be.