In reading Romans 7 I was once again challenged by the Holy Spirit with the contrast between “service” in Chapter 6 and the “service” of Chapter 7. In Chapter 6 it is the service of a slave or a faithful servant, which is completely different than that of a devoted wife to her husband  in Chapter 7. It underlines the key to service… what lies behind our motive to serve?

Rom 7:6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

The  difference is “bondage” versus “freedom.” We see this again in Paul’s comments in Chapter 8 regarding fruitfulness and service to God in newness of spirit. And as I was contemplating this striking difference the Spirit took me to a place that while I was very familiar with it, I had never thought of it in conjunction with the message He has called me to deliver. I have always considered this portion of scripture in light of the wonderful wife God has given me, the precious daughter He has given to me to care for. But in light of who we are as the bride of Christ, let me challenge you with several key thoughts from Proverbs 31 concerning a good wife that He pointed out to me to consider in light of Rom 7:6… to consider in relation to how He sees His bride.

• The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her
• She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life
• She worketh willingly with her hands
• She riseth also while it is yet night
• Her candle goeth not out by night 
• She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea she reacheth forth her hands to the needy
• She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness

If these thoughts hit you like they did me, then join me in taking a long hard look at how we are treating our bridegroom. Are we serving Him out of obligation or out of love? In my case the Lord asked me to compare my relationship with Him to my relationship with Diane. It gave me pause to reflect on how she has served me out of love for the past 32 years and to ask myself the question… is that how I have been serving the Lord?

After stopping to consider the question, the Lord moved me to the final two verses and asked me to consider my relationship with Him. At the end of the day, how will my life here on earth, my life of probation, be viewed as I stand before Him?

Prov 31:30-31 Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. 31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

He has saved us, redeemed us, and set us free from ourselves in order for us to enter into a “marriage” (a union) with Him. We have to ask ourselves if we are holding up our part of that union.

Seems to sum up the heart of Christianity for me?