12 Marriage Safeguardsనమూనా

# MARRIAGE IS A GIFT! One of my favorite events to be a part of is a wedding—so much life, celebration, and anticipation of a great love story ahead! One of my favorite moments is when the groom first gets a glimpse of his bride! There’s something unique and beautiful about those initial moments of the rest of someone’s forever commitment to each other. As a pastor, I’ve been able to officiate many weddings, and with that comes the task of looking for the perfect Bible verses and the right words to say to bring attention to God’s heart and purpose for that particular moment. Along the way, I discovered that my favorite verse to read during a wedding is from the book Song of Songs. "Come out, and look, you daughters of Zion. Look on King Solomon wearing a crown, the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding, the day his heart rejoiced." Song of Songs 3:11 NIV ## Better Together In an era celebrating individualism and trying to fight against uniting but emphasizing our difference and separation even after marriage, we’re really missing the point. We’re designed to operate in strength when we come together. Elements of ourselves being lost within each other is an incredible thing because the two become one. But it’s not just a 1+1=2. When we come together, it’s multiplication, not addition. Like when a single horse is pulling its weight and then a second horse is added in, it doesn’t just double the pulling power; it multiplies it by 10x. So coming together in marriage has the ability to enhance your life greatly! God created and blessed marriage! ## Marriage is a Picture and Perfector Marriage is also a picture of God’s commitment and covenant toward us; His commitment to you is forever! God went all-in to seal a partnership with us—so much so that He gave his one and only Son, Jesus, on the cross! With Jesus's death and resurrection, He purchased our salvation and established this covenant, and nothing in heaven or earth can break and stop His love toward us. You can be confident that God won’t abandon or leave you for someone else. His covenant with you stands forever! In the same way, marriage is to be a reflection of that covenant and commitment. No matter what comes your way, be fully committed to giving all for each other. Marriage is also a perfector. There’s something powerful about the two becoming one. The process of learning to serve each other and laying down your life for each other is often painful but beautiful in its results. For a marriage to work and be great requires that you each grow. See marriage as a tool God uses to shape you into the masterpiece that He designed you to be. You will create beautiful music together, but the sparks will also fly as you clash! Don’t be afraid of the sparks of iron sharpening iron; it’s how you get better.