Marriage is more than a Wedding

Last weekend, we attended a wedding. Actually, my husband handled the sound for the wedding, so we attended both the rehearsal and the event. I couldn’t help but have memories of my own wedding day. As the mothers of the bride and groom were escorted down the aisle by their grandsons, I teared up, remembering my brother walking my grandmother to her place of honor at my wedding. As the bride and her father walked down the aisle, I flashed both backward and forward, remembering my own but imagining my daughter’s (many years in the future). During the ceremony, I remembered my grandfather‘s words to us, not just on that day, but throughout the years.

What do you remember about your wedding day? How much time and planning went into your celebration? Our wedding day had some hiccups (including a flood, a health scare, and a bumped flight) and our marriage isn’t perfect, but my husband and I focus on building our relationship. Communication, connection, and intimacy are foundational to any relationship.

My husband likes to tell the following joke: “Marriage is a three-ring circus. Engagement ring. Wedding ring. Suffer-ing.” This gets him some laughs and a few eye-rolls as well. All joking aside, weddings are a beautiful thing. However, many people spend a small (or large) fortune on one day and do not invest in their marriage. This seems to be a long-running issue since God uses the illustrations of a wedding, a bride, and marriage throughout Scripture.

In the Old Testament, God calls the nation of Israel His Bride. He talks of pursuing her in her youth, providing for her, and loving her. After the wedding (Old Covenant) Israel is often flighty, insecure, and rebellious. God continuously accepts her, redeems her, and takes her in despite infidelity.

In the New Testament, Jesus calls the church His bride. The Father paid the highest price in history for the Son’s bride. We each choose whether to accept the relationship or to reject the Son as Israel rejected the Father.

As Christians, we have a long courtship, as we wait for the return of our Groom and the Wedding Day. How do we behave in the waiting? Do we talk non-stop about our Husband-to-be? Do we make preparations so that we are ready for the day? Did we say “yes” to the engagement but neglect the relationship afterward? Be committed to studying His word, the greatest love letter ever written. Talk to Him throughout your day, about everything! In these activities, you will fall more in love with God every day.