Chapter 2: Being a Beautiful Bride of Christ

In this chapter, Ginger Plowman puts emphasis on living as the bride of Christ, loving Christ, and spending time with him. Remember when you were first in love with your husband?

“Remember how you longed to be with him? How everything you did and said and thought revolved around him? When he wrote you a letter, you delighted in reading it over and over again. Butterflies tickled your tummy each time your mind replayed that first kiss. Then you would rewind the image and play it over and over again, giddy with every flutter of the butterflies’ wings…When Jesus Christ comes as the bridegroom to claim his bride (his children) it will be the ultimate love rush, like nothing you have ever experienced. The wedding will be spectacular.”

I have some real problems with the above quote and the way she begins this chapter. For now, let’s set my questions aside and go with the idea that we are the bride of Christ. The metaphor helps Plowman make her point that we are to love Jesus, desire to spend time with Him, and focus on Him.

God commands us to love Him. But how do we do that?

Plowman explains that we develop and strengthen our love for God by spending time with Him on a regular basis. She spends the rest of the chapter explaining how to do this:

• Focus on Christ, not yourself.
• Begin with small goals.
• Have your devotion at a time when you will not be interrupted.
• Be flexible if you have a baby.
• Be in constant fellowship with God.
• Attend church regularly.

I found her points about our self-centeredness to be quite true. We are very self-centered. We even like to make Christ’s sacrifice on the cross all about us. Plowman writes, “Even salvation is not solely for our own sakes. Christ didn’t die on the cross just so that we could avoid hell, or so that we could live blessed lives. Christ died on the cross to glorify His father. Our salvation is secondary.” He died to glorify His father, and part of the gospel is that Christ’s sacrifice makes it possible for believers to glorify God with Him. Until we are born again, it is impossible for us to please God or glorify Him. Without Christ, we would be utterly self-absorbed and selfish. In Christ, we are able to make much of God, who is infinitely greater than ourselves, who alone is worthy of all our attentions and affections.

The overall message of this chapter: To be a beautiful bride of Christ, focus on Jesus, not yourself. If we are going to create a little piece of Heaven in our homes, then we have to have a growing love relationship with Jesus. I certainly can’t argue with that.

Don’t forget to leave a comment indicating you’ve never read a Ginger Plowman book or email me with a question for the interview so you can be included in the book drawing! I’ve received the books in the mail, and now I’m wishing I had ordered extra copies for myself. Every mom is going to wish she had Wise Words for Moms!