The Tie That Binds
Bless Be The Tie that Binds
Four AM I awakened and I was singing...
Blest be the tie that binds, Our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds, Is like to that above.
(The entire hymn, with a a link to organ music, can be found above under "Hear Ye Hear Ye".
Me oh my, do we live up to the hymn though? Is our example of Christian fellowship reflecting what is to come in heaven? Some of the encounters we experience with fellow believers signal warnings to the rest of the world...
"If that is Christian camaraderie, count me out. I will find amity elsewhere."
Researching the definition of bind and considering it in the context of being bound to our brothers and sisters in Christ was quite thought provoking.
There were negatives which are visible in certain religions/churches/relationships:
To confine, restrain, restrict and to put under obligation.
Let's dwell on these positives and evaluate whether we can say this is unswervingly true of the fellowship we share with other believers.
Being bound means:
to make secure
to wrap around and cover
to cause to stick together
to make a firm commitment
to protect and strengthen
to have an emotional attachment
to form a cohesive mass
If you aren't finding that kind of fellowship, keep looking, it does exist. Don't let one bad apple spoil the whole bunch.
PT
Father, You are the one who so graciously has forgiven our sins and bound us to Christ for eternity. What a faithful friend we have in Jesus. Prepare our hearts, our minds, our mouths, for what is to come today and may all we do and say and pray be a reflection of what is happening in heaven today. In Jesus' Name, Amen
