When I initially married, I had no idea as to the spiritual significance it held to God. Nor did I fully understand my role as a Godly husband. Although we exchanged traditional vows in a church, neither of us fully appreciated how our marriage was symbolic to Christ’s relationship with His church and as such, we were commissioned to be on mission for Him:

To Confirm: Marriage was an event Jesus confirmed and celebrated as demonstrated by the fact He attended at least one as a guest. He was even willing to ensure the wedding was a success when He was called upon for help (John 2:9). Similarly, do we do all we can to help confirm the importance of our marriage? This is demonstrated through our commitment to our vows and our Godly priorities to ensure we’re doing all we can to make it as successful as possible in reflecting Christ.

To Care: When we’re married, we posses the opportunity to express compassion with double potency. For we are now a team that ideally works together to not only care for the needs of each other and the family, but for others as well. Thus, marriage is a partnership unified under God’s power to do even greater good; and how much Christian care is active inside our home propels our care outside its doors (Psalm 112:2).

To Contribute: When a marriage places Christ first and is unified under God, it serves as a powerful catalyst to building Kingdom families. As a result, Kingdom contributions are multiplied throughout the church, communities, cultures and countries (Psalm 127). In short, how deep is our desire to give in comparison to how much we seek to get out of life?

Application: “Love Lesson” – 1 Thessalonians 3:12
Marriage is a lesson in love. For love is sacrificial and seeks to heal hurts, rather than focusing on how we feel. In marriage, we proclaim for “better, or worse”, but how many marriages survive and thrive during the worst of times? When we learn how to love in marriage, by confirming Christ as our first love, we become better stewards in caring and sharing His love for the eternal contribution of others.