Fastened Around Your Neck
Placing the cross chain around my neck each morning has become quite a symbolic moment for me to begin my day.
Proverbs 6:1-35
Reference: v.21 Bind them upon your heart forever; fasten them around your neck. (NIV Bible)
Explore: When I was ordained as a Churches of Christ minister my parents gave me a gold cross hanging from a necklace. As we don’t have any official religious uniform in Churches of Christ, they thought that I could wear the necklace when I was performing my official duties. While my parents initial thought was for me to wear the cross necklace just for special ceremonies, I have found myself wearing it nearly every day. Placing it around my neck each morning has become quite a symbolic moment for me to begin my day. As the cross sits at the nape of my neck I know that other people will see it, and so it is like I am putting my faith on public display each new day. Now, just because I wear a cross does not make me a good Christian. However the act of fastening the clasp around my neck is a daily reminder of who I am, who I have come from and who I strive to be.
Application: When the author is speaking of fastening something around a neck he is not talking about gold ornamentation. He is talking about the wisdom from parents. This too is something that we should wear each and every new day. Wisdom is not just something you get one day and then that’s it for the rest of your life. Wisdom is a life-long journey that we need to constantly be taking initiative and acting upon each and every day. There are some days when it will seem like we have left our wisdom at home and we will act out of emotion or greed rather than considered thought. That does not mean that all is lost. We just need to continue to work at binding wisdom upon our hearts and wearing it anew each day.
Prayer: Lord, You gave Your whole life to bring us closer to You. Sometimes we forget to even give you five minutes in the day. Forgive us Lord. May we strive to know You more and more. Amen.
Do you have something to remind you each day of the importance of your faith?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.