ODB: The Power Of A Promise
July 8, 2011
Love is more than a feeling; it’s a commitment.
READ: Genesis 2:18-25
For this reason a man shall . . . be joined to his wife. —Matthew 19:5
I wear only two pieces of jewelry: a wedding band on my finger and a small Celtic cross on a chain around my neck. The ring represents my vow to be faithful to Carolyn, my wife, as long as I shall live. The cross reminds me that it is not for her sake alone, but for Jesus’ sake that I do so. He has asked me to be faithful to her until death shall separate us.
A marriage vow is more than a contract that we can break by paying damages. It is a unique vow that is explicitly intended to be binding until death separates us (Matt. 19:6). The words “for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health” take into consideration the probability that it will not be easy to keep our vows. Circumstances may change and so may our spouses.
Marriage is hard at best; disagreements and difficult adjustments abound. While no one must live in an abusive and dangerous relationship, accepting the difficulties of poverty, hardship, and disappointment can lead to happiness. A marriage vow is a binding obligation to love, honor, and cherish one another for as long as we shall live because Jesus has asked us to do so. As a friend of mine once put it, “This is the vow that keeps us faithful even when we don’t feel like keeping our vows.”
— David H. Roper
Source: Our Daily Bread
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Personally, these words “for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health” imply possible and extreme positions that we can found ourselves some point in our lives. That is also why divorce is not an option for us as believers. If my family become poor because of inflation or suffer a downturn, we will not abandon our loved ones but choose to stay together. We shouldn’t allow circumstances to break our family bond except God’s Sovereignty and His good will. Definitely, there are moment of stress that we have to duel with in our relationship. Nevertheless, the will through the understanding of our vow made soberly in the presence of many witnesses should be suffice to maintain our sanity.
Let’s be faithful to both our Lord and spouse (family).
p/s: Gold ring represents strong characteristic of our relationship (not easily broken phyiscally) besides lasting (very solid matter) values, memories that we suppose to cherish. To me, it is more than just a round ring that represents God’s perfection of love for us that we need to build our relationship on.