Wedding Vows

Perhaps it is because today is the first wedding ceremony at my church. Perhaps it is because my wife and I celebrated our fourteenth anniversary last month. Perhaps it is because I am getting to spend the evening with my good friend David Poston for most likely the last time before he gets married next week. (In the last ten years, other than my wife, there isn't anyone I've spent more late night talking sessions with than Mr. Poston, so this is the end of an era of sorts.) Perhaps it is because my devotions have been taking me to the Christ-Husband analogy.

Whatever the reason, I've been thinking a lot about marriage vows recently. The vows are serious and important. A search for the typical vows yields me the following:

I take thee to be my spouse, to have and to hold from this day forward; for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer: in sickness and in health; to love, to honor, and to cherish, for all the days of our lives ‘til death do us part.

I don't want to discount the fact that God calls some to be single. While I think our culture, specifically mothers with daughters in their twenties, completely devalues that gift (and maybe that is worthy of a post later), I know that the gift of marriage is incredible. As Pastor Greg wrote about holy longings earlier, I again realized that we were created for relationships. While there are many relationships God gives us for our benefit, I know that there is none more significant or instrumental in our life than that of our marriage partner.

It is so significant that we have a special vow that we take. How many of us take vows in any other situation? I know politicians take a vow, though many have minimal excitement about that. I worry that some treat the marriage vows with the same lethargy. Yet when you look at what we’re vowing to do, we agree to take any terrible situation and commit to loving our spouse through that. This is an incredible commitment, and I really hope that we take that vow seriously.

I think many of us realize that great philosopher Ike Graham can be correct when he says, "I guarantee there'll be tough times. I guarantee that at some point, one or both of us is gonna want to get out of this thing." I know, however, that we need to complete his thought with our vows. I guarantee that despite those feelings, I will be your spouse. I will stick with you through it. And I guarantee that I will seek God and any of His gifted church leaders to help us through that.

Unfortunately, as I look to life around me, I see that many treat these vows with less reverence than they should. I pray that I am not among them that I appreciate Kelly for the great gift she is and that I continue to honor my vows. I read about a guy once who proposed to his wife every day. I’m not sure that’s necessary, but I do see the benefit of realizing afresh every day that we need to take our vows seriously. I hope you all take similar stock. When you take a vow it is important, and no vow, in our culture, is as prevalent as the Wedding Vows.