In this world, there are few things more important than your marriage.
I take you to be my wife (husband), to have and to hold,
from this day forward, for better, for worse,
for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health,
to love and to cherish, till death do us part,
according to God's holy ordinance;
and thereto I pledge you my faith.
"What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”
(Matthew 19:6)
In the western world we have lost sight of the gravitas of vows made before God and Man. After our devotion to God, only devotion to our spouse ranks higher. How seriously we regard the latter illuminates our devotion to the former. We pledge ourselves to a three way covenant between ourselves, our spouses, and God. Honoring that vow is critical to our personal faith, to the continuance of our family's faith, and our societal strength.
1) What we model for our spouse confirms our commitment to God and, as a consequence, to him or her.
"If a man makes a vow to the Lord, or takes an oath to put himself under an obligation, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth."
Numbers 30:2
"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. So husbands also ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself."
Ephesians 5:25-28
"Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored."
Titus 2:3-5
When we keep our vows to God it reaffirms our character to ourselves and to our spouses. It shows we can be trusted. It shows our commitment. It demonstrates submission to God and shows what our priorities are. Keeping our vows to God helps encourage our spouse to do the same.
"And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart."
Ecclesiastes 4:12
Everything we do, we do out of Love; love for God and love for each other.
"Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant. It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered, it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
2) What we model for our children becomes their initial foundation for their understanding of God's love for us.
"These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up."
Deuteronomy 6:6-7
"Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it."
Proverbs 22:6
"In all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us."
Titus 2:7-8
When you honor God and honor your spouse you are training your children how they should act. Don't think that your actions go unnoticed. We are very perceptive, especially in those formative years. Things that you don't think important are often the things that grab the attention of your children. You are not just training them in a formal sense by going to church or telling them explicitly what you believe. You are training them by the every day actions you take. You are training them when they see how you behave towards your spouse. You are training them by what they see when you don't know you are being watched. Everything that you do is training them. In light of this, honor God in everything you do, honor your vows to him, and honor your vows to your spouse.
3) What we model for the community shows them what we believe better than any words ever could.
"The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you."
Philippians 4:9
"Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation."
1 Peter 2:12
"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."
Matthew 5:16
We shape the world we live in. We shape it physically by building and demolishing things in the environment, by planting and harvesting the fields, and any number of other actions we take. We change the world just by living in it. We also shape the world by what we say and the values we hold. If we value honesty and integrity, then we need to BE honest and have integrity. If we want a society that values traditional values, then we must demonstrate those values ourselves. If honor is important and vows are to be kept, then be the example and light the way. If you love God, then show that love to the world.
Our country has fallen away from all of these things over the long years since it's founding. Many of the things that were admirable about our country have been dismantled and discarded at the prompting of the evil one.
We need to return to our roots.
We need to return to Honor.
We need to honor God.