Faithful

One of the benefits of being a pastor is that I get to perform weddings. What a celebration; a man and a woman declaring their love to each other and throwing a party because of it. All the pieces of a wedding have the opportunity to be meaningful but without a doubt the most amazing part of the wedding is when the couple speaks their promise and vows to each other. It is a thing of beauty and I am moved by it each and every time I witness it.

 The last wedding I was involved in was my son Jack’s and his beautiful bride Taylor. The words  that follow are the exact words from the ceremony.

 “Jack, will you have Taylor to be your wife, to live with her according to God’s Word in the holy relationship of marriage?  Will you love her, comfort her, honor her, and care for her in sickness and in health; and forsaking all others, will you be faithful to her, as long as you both shall live?”

 Jack said, “I will.”

 Then he said the following words.

 “I, Jack, take you, Taylor, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish, until death do us part, according to God’s holy ordinance and in these I promise to be faithful to you.”

 Taylor spoke the same promise and vows to Jack. They gave each other rings as a symbol that they will keep their word until they are parted by death. The rings also are a symbol that they each believe the words that were spoken to them. Wow, what a gift to give to each other.

·        Faithfulness
·        Intimacy
·        Trust
·        Commitment

 This is what a Christian marriage is to be like. It is to be modeled after the way that Jesus gave himself to the Church. He gave His very life because He said He would. He did not wait for us to earn that gift. He gave and we respond to his actions. He alone is our Savior and our Lord. We are to worship him alone and no other.

 “Do not commit adultery.”                   -Exodus 20.14

 This commandment is meant to define our lives with our God and our lives with our spouses. It is a gift from God to be enjoyed all the days of our lives. It may not always be easy but it is always right and it is filled with God’s blessings.

God is always right,
Pastor Nick