I recently married a wonderful Ugandan woman who I met on my first mission trip to Africa some years ago. Our relationship eventually deepened, and we felt God leading us to marriage.
In Africa there is a custom called the “bride price” where the prospective groom gives a dowry to the bride’s family. (This is the opposite of the custom in India, where I come from, where it is usually the bride’s family who pays a dowry to the groom’s family.) This custom in Uganda is intended to be an expression of the love the husband has for his wife and his way of honoring her. A biblical instance of a bride price is when Jacob acquired Rachel as his wife by serving her father Laban for fourteen years before marrying her. He did this because of his deep love for her. (See Genesis 29:15–30.)
Thinking about this custom gave me a deeper understanding of the redemption that Jesus accomplished for us. The Bible calls all those who believe in Jesus “God’s possession” who glorify Him (Ephesians 1:14 NIV). We are called the bride of Christ both individually and collectively as a church (Revelation 19:7–8). When we invite Jesus into our lives, we enjoy an intimate spiritual relationship with Him.
Jesus paid a bride price for us, which was more than any monetary or material gift. The price He paid was costly and beyond anything we have the capacity to give to another. The price, or ransom as it is called, was His own blood, which alone could atone for us and was an expression of God’s love for humanity. “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:10 NIV).
We belong to a God who loved and redeemed us even when we were lost in sin and did not deserve His love. He bought us with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20) by giving His only Son for us. “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). It is a wonderful privilege to belong to the family of the living God. Therefore, God calls us to live our lives in a manner that is worthy of Him and glorifies Him (1 Thessalonians 2:12).
If you do not yet know Jesus as your Savior, you can pray this simple prayer:
Jesus, please forgive me for my sins. I believe that You died for me. I invite You into my life. Please fill me with the Holy Spirit. Help me to love You and others and live by the truth in the Bible. Amen.