Greetings Prayer Warriors,
While actual wedding trends are ever changing, I am becoming increasingly attuned to why marriage ceremonies have traditionally consisted of vows made before God. One reason must be because vows made before God are harder to break. Perhaps that could also be the reason vows aren’t made before God; a contract is easier to break than a covenant.
In any marriage, difficulty eventually arises and catches one off guard as bliss turns blustery. Most weddings officiants don’t talk about the crosses that are placed within a marriage, yet they are hard to avoid. Undoubtedly, there will be times you may not want to continue to honor the commitment to your spouse, but pause and ask yourself, are you hard-hearted enough to renege on your commitment to God? Consider, would the Lord preach the permanency of marriage if He wasn’t going to support you with His grace?
Jesus said, “The cup that I drink, you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized.” Mark 10:39
While Jesus wasn’t married, He exemplified sacrificial love. He suffered greatly as many of his “brethren'' rejected Him. He gave His life for us, but still waits patiently for acknowledgement. He understands all too well that Love given, isn't always love returned. In marriage, He invites us into sacrificial love for our own good and the good of our spouse. It is a gift, as it is your ticket to holiness.
I trusted, even when I said: “I am sorely afflicted,” and when I said in my alarm: “No man can be trusted.” How can I repay the Lord for his goodness to me? The cup of salvation I will raise; I will call on the Lord’s name. My vows to the Lord I will fulfill before all his people. Psalm 116: 10-14
Never forget that grace is there for the asking, as the Beloved gives good gifts. Never forget to pray for those who haven’t yet realized that. Never forget that your spouse is on a journey of their own, and may be progressing at a different rate than you. Always pray it forward as someone else has been praying for you.
Peace, Joy, and Love,
Janet
