Are you making plans to get married soon? Have you decided if you are going to write your own vows or recite them from the minister or Justice of the Peace? No matter what you decide, consider incorporating these three vows: love, honor and obey.
Love
Love is a given, I mean why else would you marry each other right? But love is not just the fluttering you feel in your stomach when you think about your honey or the strong physical attraction between you two. Vowing to love each other means you are dedicated to working on your marriage and ensuring you won’t give up when you face struggles.
Honor
Vowing to honor each other means you will show respect towards each other and the marriage. Don’t allow others to disrespect your marriage or your spouse either. You honor each other by accepting each other’s differences and treating each other the way they want to be treated.
The way you may want to be treated may not always be the way your spouse wants to be treated. For instance, your spouse may not like when you interrupt them while they are watching TV, whereas you are fine with them interrupting you. The longer you are together, the more you will learn each other and respect each other’s feelings.
Obey
Lastly, obey should be one of your vows. You both should make a vow to obey the Word of God. I know you probably thought I was talking about obeying each other, but no, I am talking about obeying God. For example, there may be times when God may tell you to apologize to your spouse first after an argument even if you feel you are not in the wrong. He may tell you to not speak some particular words that you really want your spouse to hear. If you listen and obey His voice, you can avoid many unnecessary arguments and keep peace in your relationship. The Word has many solutions to what you will experience in your marriage; I encourage you both to read it together often.
So if you are getting married in the near future, think about what your vows mean to you. The vow to obey can be recited together to God as a commitment to allow Him to be the center of your marriage. If you are already married, it’s not too late to make the vow to obey God. Remember that obeying Him can make loving and honoring your spouse easier because if you ask, He will show you how to be the spouse you need to be to each other.
BMWK – Will you make the vow to love, honor and obey?