When I was small, my family attended a small country church that sat five minutes from our home.  In this setting, I grew up, attending Vacation Bible School, Sunday School, Training Union, Wednesday night mission groups, monthly Youth Rallies, and numerous seasonal revivals and weekly sermons.  During my time as a child, when we arrived at church for Sunday School, we met together as a ‘whole church body’ BEFORE being dismissed to our smaller groups.  I vividly recall an opening song, followed by the Sunday School director reading church announcements and then asking:  “Has anyone celebrated a birthday this week?”  When the question was asked, the one celebrating the birthday was expected to walk forward to the Communion Table where the offering plates sat and drop in the EXACT amount of coins representing his age (the number of years lived).  I also remember how the elderly would drop in a paper dollar, as if they were already 100 years old.  This was my first public action, and I recall how nervous I was when my birthday week came.

Years later, my husband and I now attend a different country church that sits seven minutes from our home.  At our church, VBS, Sunday School, Bible study groups, numerous Fall revivals, and weekly sermons.  There are a few differences between the two churches:  we do not meet together BEFORE Sunday School, we do not have Training Union, and we meet together in small group studies instead of attending Sunday night church services.  Another significant way these churches are different is that the church where we currently attend celebrates Wedding Anniversaries, not birthdays.  Instead of walking forward to place coins in the offering plate on your birthday, we raise our voices within the sanctuary when the pastor asks:  “Is anyone celebrating a wedding anniversary this week?”  Then once the husband or wife shouts out the number of years married, the congregation cheers.  I like this change, the applause for those who are married.

If you are currently married, or if you are soon to be married, or even if you were ever married, then there is a question to consider:  What type of spouse are you? OR When you were married, what type of spouse were you ?  Since two individuals are necessary to make a covenant, a promise of marriage, then both people become equal participants within the covenant they have made to one another.

Consider and reflect upon the marriages within your family?  Have they sustained through time?  You can do the same.  Ponder the struggles and trials that have come to familial marriages, seeing how they walked together through the life-circumstances.  You can do the same.  Notice the way past generations have demonstrated their devotion to one another, held hands in public, avoided speaking negatively to others about their spouse, and (although not perfect) always kept the best interest of their spouse ahead of their own concerns.  You can do the same.

Marriage is not easy; God never said it would be.  One only needs to look at the statistics to see how many marriages fail.  Nevertheless, the Word of God is clear in our Father’s directive when it comes to earthly marriages.

We are deficient individuals, sinful ones, and as such, we have the internal nature to mess up our marriages, even without any outside help.  We can act selfishly, unlovingly, and just plain terribly toward the one we have promised to cherish, love, honor and obey.  Yes, it’s a fact; we can.  However, despite what deficiencies each person might have in himself/herself, and despite what spiritual heritage of marriage that resides within our earthly families, if we belong to Jesus, then we are complete in Him.  This means we have the power within us to shine the light of Jesus in our marriages and in the world.  We must arise every day and remember:  Jesus Loves Us; Satan Hates Us. & The world watches the Christians to see how they live their lives.

Therefore, we have obligations to the Lord: within our Christian walk; within our union of marriage; and within the world where we reside.

The Word of God is clear in our Father’s directive when it comes to earthly marriages.

The Reverend John Piper wrote to discuss marriage, explaining how they are momentary gifts, ones that could “last a lifetime” or even be “snatched away on the honeymoon.” (The Momentary Marriage 2009)  We are to strive for our marriages to be just as God designed them to be.  The beauty of marriage is most beautiful when the husband and wife keep Christ within the center of their covenant.  Thank goodness the Holy Spirit of God walks us through the days, both the easy ones and those not so easy.  As Piper said:  “May the marriage-watching world be captivated by the covenant-keeping love of Christ.” (The Momentary Marriage 2009) 

Thus, the Word of God is clear in our Father’s directive when it comes to earthly marriages.

A close friend is walking through a season of ‘betrothal,’ as she awaits her upcoming marriage.  For me, this time before marriage seems so long ago because on this ninth day of January, my husband and I are twenty-three (23) days away from our fortieth (40^th) wedding anniversary.

In contemplating marriage—

May we find ourselves most reflective, asking some necessary questions and hearing the Spirit’s heavy answers.

May we each work to love as Jesus taught—“just as Christ also does the church, . . . .” &

May our marriages be Christ-like, an image of Christ’s church—“ONE FLESH.”