Today is a very special day. Nine years ago today I met my wife at the alter of the church that we grew up in. We stood in front of family and friends and confessed our love for each other, and our dedication to put God first in our marriage. I was 18 and she was 20 and I am proud to say that nine years later our love for each other and our commitment to God, has never been stronger.
Sure we have had some hard times. We have had our disagreements, our pain, our tears, and sometimes our knock down drag out brawls. And I would not trade a single moment of it. You see what we established on our wedding day, is what we have built our lives upon. Here are a couple keys:
1) To make Jesus Christ the center of our marriage.
This has been absolutely essential in our marriage. With Jesus Christ being the center of our marriage, that makes Him the focus in our lives. It unifies the decisions we make because both of us have in mind the things of Christ and what will be most beneficial in His kingdom not our kingdom. It has given us a united passion, and focus for our lives. To live a life pleasing to God and to spread the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Having a unified vision is crucial in a successful marriage. We do sometimes disagree on the specific way of accomplishing the mission, but our destination is always the same. This reduces fights, and when issues get heated we simply stop, spend some time in prayer with each other seeking God's will not our own.
2) Keep your word.
This is a practice that is done very little in todays world. Words, are words with out meaning, and a hand shake means nothing. Just the other day I was in the process of selling one of my vehicles, the deal was closed with a hand shake, and the buyer said he would go to the bank in the morning, and stop by right afterward to pay for and pick up the car. Instead he called me in the morning and had had changed his mind.
When I told my wife, "I Do" and she did the same, what we really meant was "we do" For sickness and health, better or worse, rich or poor, till death do us part. We meant it! We decided before we got married that divorce would never be a word in our home. Regardless of how tough things got, divorce was not an option, we would work through any and all situations together.
3) Love your wife like Christ loves the church (unconditional)
You want a happy marriage, men you want to connect with your wife? You want your wife to respect you, and seek to please you, then here is the simple solution. Love her! That's it. Love her no matter what, without strings attached, without a hidden agenda, simply love her. Whether the dishes are done or not, love her. Whether you have to iron your own shirt, love her. Whether she cooks or doesn't just love her.
Words could not describe how much I love my wife. If she never cooked again, or if she never washed my clothes or cleaned a single dish my love for her would not change. My love is not based on her "good works" it is based on who she is. And who she is, is the women who God has created for me to spend my life with.
It is funny that these 3 keys to a successful marriage are the same 3 keys to having a great relationship with Jesus Christ. We need to make Jesus the center of our lives. He needs to be our number 1 priority, all our decisions should be based on His plan, and be focused on increasing his Kingdom. We need to keep our commitment. We we said Jesus was Lord of our life, we need to make Him Lord of our life. All the time, with no backing out. And we need to love Him unconditionally. After all that is how He loves us. Not a Love based on "Well Jesus if you do this for me, I will pray this week" But a love for who He is. Our Savior. The one who loves you enough that He died for you. The one that God has sent for you to spend your entire life with.
Happy anniversary Jenny, I love you, and thank you.
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