Weddings

I am doing a wedding this afternoon. If you know me you know I am not a great fan of weddings American style. I love marriage, but the way many people go about beginning them in our culture is silly. This wedding is small and I think very well thought out. The reason I don't like many weddings is because they are focused on the wrong thing. They are focused on the couple getting married. Weddings should be focused on the One who brought the two peolpe together and who will make them one - Jesus. For the wedding to lead to a marriage that will last Jesus has to be the foundation of the marriage relationship. I don't mean just going to church I mean living a life as a couple and family that is totally surrendered to Jesus.

Annother reason I find American weddings not what they should be is that too much money is spend on the wedding. I know parents who have gone into debt to finance a wedding. Weddings shouldn't put anyone, parents or the couple themselves into debt. Nor should a wedding cause the kind of stress in people's lives that it does. I have been married for over 38 years and to be honest the wedding itself is just a memory. My everyday relationship with my wife is what is important. My loving her and she respecting me is what keeps our love for each other fresh and real and the fact that Jesus is at the center of our relationship.

The most often used picture of the relationship that God wants us His people is that of a marriage. That why in Malachi 2:16 God says that He hates divorce. Divorce destorts the picture of God's love and desire that He has for His people. It also hurts people and God loves us so much that He doesn't wants to have to experience that kind of pain.

Expensive self focused weddings don't need to happen. They are real joy killers. Weddinngs that are simple and Jesus centered can begin a marriage with a burst of pure God given joy. Let's celebrate marriage Jesus style.
Joe