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Somebody once described a wedding ring as “a small piece of jewelry that cuts off circulation.” The point is humorous because we know that when people get married, they are supposed to stop circulating as though they were single. Now that they are wed, their life is pledged to another person and that means that they need to be available to them and unavailable to everyone else.

As the bride of Christ, we must be available to Him and Him alone. The Lord will not settle for being second fiddle to anyone or anything. He calls us to be wholly available to Him and totally unavailable to all other gods:

“You shall have no other gods before Me. . . . you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God . . . .” (Exodus 20:3–5 NKJV)

God is jealous for our affection and devotion, just as any groom should be for his bride. But unlike most brides, the church is frequently found in circles that compete for our loyalty and fidelity. Rather than making the Lord our first love, we allow the things of this world to come before Him. The exhortation from the Word couldn’t be any clearer:

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (1 John 2:15 NKJV)

Instead of allowing this world to eclipse our love for Jesus, we need to set our minds on the things above, not on the trappings that are here on earth, because our lives are on a heavenly trajectory (Colossians 3:2–3). Paul also wrote that we should be a chaste virgin, kept pure for the Lord (2 Corinthians 11:2). When we’re faithful to this matrimonial mandate, we will be available to our Heavenly Groom and unavailable to every sinful suitor who would try to pull us away from Him.

DIG - In your own words, what does it mean to be a chaste virgin?

DISCOVER - What is one specific area of your life that competes with your love for the Lord?

DISPLAY - How can you practically protect yourself from the things that come before God in your life?