This weekend, several of us are at a marriage retreat at White River Youth Camp. I met my wife around 24 years ago at that very camp. It really doesn’t seem like that long ago, but I know we have established a home and have three little ones of our own. As I was preparing for this retreat, I came across an article I wrote a few years ago about my wife and me picking out my wedding ring. We told the salesman we were looking for a ring that was durable, light, and that I would hardly notice it was there. I work a lot with my hands and have tendency to get dirty; I’ve even ruined all the nice clothes or watches I have ever owned. We did not want a ring that would get in the way or get too messed up. I was thinking, what if I treated our marriage and relationship the same way? What if I was looking for a marriage that was durable, that I hardly noticed, and didn’t get the way of my everyday life? That is no way to treat a marriage and if we had, we wouldn’t be about to celebrate our 20th anniversary.

A marriage is a decision that requires commitment and change. You are no longer just living for yourself; you are living for someone else. It is no wonder that Paul compares the church’s relationship to Christ as a marriage. You decide to follow Christ just like getting married, it should change every aspect of your life. You are no longer living for yourselves; you are living for God. So let us honor the marriage we have to Christ and let us live our lives accordingly.

In Him,