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By Sharon Robertson, Lt. Colonel
“I’ll be there with bells on!”
Weird saying, that! I looked it up on the Internet to try to discover how it originated, but its origins are uncertain; apparently several theories exist, all unsubstantiated. Everyone seems to agree that in essence it means, “I’ll show up, ready to celebrate.”
Reading Zechariah reminds me of a wonderful reason to celebrate “with bells on.”
On that day holy to the Lord will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the Lord’s house will be like the sacred bowls in front of the altar. Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the Lord Almighty, and all who come to sacrifice will take some of the pots and cook in them (Zech. 14:20-21 NIV).
The prophet Zechariah reminded his people that a day is coming in which God’s people will have great cause for celebration. Christ will be king over all the earth, and God’s people will understand that holiness is a fact of life for the kingdom citizen. No longer will “holiness” and “sacrosanct” be equated with the priesthood and the temple; all will understand that even the commonplace is holy, to be used solely to the honor and glorification of God. Even the bells used to decorate the harness of a horse will remind the observer to glorify God, and to respect his creation. The pots and pans in the kitchen, the dishes from which we eat, the food we ingest—all are sanctified when given over to God.
How thrilling it is to know that the day is coming when Christ shall be recognized as king of kings and Lord of lords, that day when at the name of Jesus every knee [will] bow…and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” ( Phil. 2:9-11).
And how earthshaking it can be to understand that although the prophet was thinking of a day yet to come, you and I can have a part in offering the world a preview of that day by demonstrating its power even today to change day-to-day attitudes and practices.
Just think: every little thing that comes into view is sacred to God, and should be treated as sacred to him. This would mean taking God into active partnership in our daily lives, living each moment in awareness that God sees (and approves or disapproves) what we do with the common tools he has given us, including the knife, fork and spoon, the prescription drugs, the bottle, the computer, the social media, the smart phone, the T.V., the car, and so on. For the Christian, this attitude of “everything is sacred to God” is a key to self-discipline, to living with God’s objectives in mind; to the non-believer, seeing this attitude in professing believers is irrefutable evidence that we are who we claim to be: loyal and obedient subjects of the kingdom of God!
As Paul put it in 2 Timothy 1:8-10: So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
This is, for the Christian, what “being there with bells on” is all about: show up at the party living a life that is a clear and unmistakable proclamation of holiness to the Lord.
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