One of the cool things about weddings is that you get to see what’s important to a couple. Most weddings these days take months to plan, and as a result they are carefully orchestrated and coordinated events. The order of the service, the words that are spoken and the music that is played reflect something of that couple’s priorities. Weddings are a little insight into the history and the future of the relationship.
Of course, the real test of the marriage come in the days, months and years following the wedding. That’s when you truly see what’s important to the loving couple. You get to witness how faithful they are to the vows that they made. You get to see whether their priorities have shifted and changed. And you get to see whether they value marriage in the same degree that they did when they stood before their family and friends on their special day. Because most couples will tell you on that day that marriage is a great thing and that they are looking forward to it. Years down the line, their tune often changes, and this is unfortunate. Because marriage is a great thing. Scripture is filled with reminders of the value that God places on marriage and the gift that a spouse should be. Our relationships should reflect this same appreciation for marriage that God does.
What does that mean? It means that our marriages should be ambassadors for marriage. We should speak not only well of our spouse, but of the gift that God gave us in being brought together in holy matrimony with that person. We should reflect on the blessing that it is to have a relationship that’s primary purpose is to display the love between Christ and His church. Our marriage should make marriage look good – not in a superficial, contrived way – but in a way that recognizes that God has blessed us in giving us someone to share our days with – to laugh with, to cry with, and even to struggle with. Marriage is a gift and our words and actions should reflect this.
It’s commonplace for people to ask newlyweds, “how are you enjoying married life?” and I suppose this is an understandable question. Perhaps though, we would do better to ask that of people who have been married 20, 30, 40 years and learn from the continued blessing that their marriage is. May our marriages be a similar blessing to those that ask us.
How can couples practically show the good gift that marriage is?
