When we stand before our beloved, ready to state our wedding vows, we intend to live them out fully. Yet with all the greatest intentions, that doesn’t mean that we will do that perfectly. In fact, because of our fallen nature, we all will fail. We can neither live nor love perfectly, therefore, we will all break them to one degree or another. Once that is clearly understood by both parties, the key to keeping the union intact then moves toward reconciliation.

Remembering that we all fall short of the glory of God and are in desperate need of His grace to improve, we are wise to remember that living humbly before God will always be the best protection for our marriage. This is true both in our earthly marriages as well as our nuptial union with Jesus.

The Greatest Example of Love

When we examine what is the greatest example of love the world has ever known, most people refer to the cross of Jesus Christ, the God-man who took the cross for His beloved so they wouldn’t have to. He neither deserved it nor was He forced to embrace it. Instead, out of a profound love we will never fully comprehend, Jesus took it willingly.

It is His example that we must strive to imitate. We know from the second chapter of Philippians that Jesus always maintained humility in relationship to His Heavenly Father. He did not seek His own advantage or glory. Rather, He sought only to do the will of His Father.

Jesus’ example motivates us to live out the three toughest acts of love to do in the midst of our often messy nuptial relationship. They can be easy for some and extremely difficult for others. Personally, I have found that because I have chosen to yield my life to God, He is the first to guide me into these humble actions of love.

To constantly say: “I Love You”, and to constantly live it out by “dying to my own wants and desiring to fulfill the wants of my beloved first”.

To constantly say: “I’m Sorry”, and to constantly live that out by “seeking forgiveness when I have broken the vow to love.”

To constantly say: “I Forgive You”, and constantly live that out by “saying those words and letting go of any unforgiveness my heart desires to harbor.”

When we make it our first priority to live in humble obedience to God, we are given recourse to amend our broken vows through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is vital to the relationship to reconcile as quickly as possible once the vow has been broken. The longer you wait, the more you cooperate with Satan, and the more damage he can cause to the relationship.

Remember 1Corinthians 13:6, “Love does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.” NABre