My niece is getting married this weekend.  I pray for her and her husband-to-be that they would have a healthy marriage. 

The wedding is just one special day.  The marriage, however, should be a lifetime partnership in God’s eyes.  I think of all the people I know who have either gotten divorced or are experiencing marriages that can be considered “silent failures.” 

The wedding is just one special day when it is easier to keep your focus on the other person.   The marriage, however, often brings a different reality.  There is so much self-centeredness in our world that mitigates against the kind of unity required to maintain a healthy marriage.  Though not specifically written about marriage, I think the words of Philippians 2:3-4 need to be practiced in marriage … as well as all relationships.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Let’s not forget the verse preceeding Paul’s discussion about the marriage relationship in Ephesians 5:22-33.  Verse 21 says “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”  Both husband and wife must apply Philippians 2:3-4.

The wedding is just one special day but so much time, effort, and investment goes into getting ready for that one day.  If even a portion of the attention given to wedding preparation was put into the marriage itself on a day to day basis, the statistics would probably be different.

What are we doing as a church to help couples go into marriage with this understanding and to sustain healthy relationships?  We can show good movies like Fireproof about the difference God can make in marriages but there needs to be an on-going effort to help couples.