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For many people, a "commitment" is little more than a "tentative" plan. If you've ever been a group leader or project organizer, it's likely that you've been left holding the bag by someone who didn't follow through on their commitment.“Commitment, in the modern world, simply isn’t a very high priority. To God, however, commitment is the very bedrock of faith. And it begins, not with our external efforts to change our outward patterns, but with a profound inward conviction that draws us into a commitment to Someone greater than ourselves.” Penelope J. Stokes, Simple Words of Wisdom
Commitment is a key ingredient in every relationship--our relationship with God and with our spouse.
When my husband and I were married in 1970, we weren't Christians. We'd been raised in Christian homes by great parents, but we'd never made a personal commitment to Christ. That came 4 years later for me and 5 for my husband.
None-the-less, I see God's hand in many of our pre-Christian thoughts on marriage. We were teen-agers when we planned our wedding, but we included "our song" in the ceremony--a popular song by the Association called "Never My Love."
Recently, my husband and I were listening to an Old Ed Sullivan Show on PBS, when the Association began singing "our song."
Gail,
ReplyDeleteYour post reminds me how faithful God is to teach us and train us in godliness so that our marriages can grow sweeter and more godly as "He who began a good work in (us)" completes it. Throughout our marriage God has been so faithful to send classes, resources, friends, and godly mentors along in all the different stages of our lives to teach and train us. He's never left us ignorant. May we always have ears to hear and hearts willing to apply what he's teaching us! Blessings to you, my friend :)
This is a great post, God has helped my husband and I to stay committed to each other for these 12 years, and we intend to hold unto His hand to take us through the many more decades ahead of us, it is only by His grace.
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot for sharing, I really love the song. Visiting from Matrimonial Monday, have a super blessed day!
Love
Thank you Gail. Thank you for the lyrics to that song. We had "We've Only Just Begun.." at our wedding. Thank you for linking this over at WholeHearted Home. I am copying the song for my husband :-)
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful song...a beautiful life...a beautiful marriage. So happy to run into this little gem through the newly-discovered blog hop at Jenni's blog. I am 10 years into my own marriage. We were older (he 27 and I 23) when we found each other, both saved but now it seems like we were such babies in our relationship with Christ?, and already we've weathered just hurricanes of trials - our first baby born to our two supposedly infertile selves 11 months after our marriage (surprise!!), 4 kids born in 4 years, homeschooling them, a 4 year battle with cancer for me, almost losing one of our children coupled with the very traumatic loss of an unborn one at the same time, "disfellowship" from our church, a major case of depression, grad school, and career changes.
ReplyDeleteWithout God, we would have lost our mooring and our weak little love many trials ago. But a cord of three strands is not quickly broken (engraved on our wedding rings in Greek, Ecc. 4:12a) and so far is not even frayed. He is good.
Thank you for this beautiful reminder of all we have in Christ!
Genevieve of TurquoiseGates.com
Thank you, Genevieve. I so appreciate your sharing your love journey as well...It's always a blessing to hear how God has worked in others lives. You have had some big trials in your 10 years of marriage, and your words testify to our even bigger God.
DeleteSo sweet. I love the thought of the two of you dancing to your song. It is only through God that we can have commitment to our marriages that lasts forever. We must cling to Him. Thanks for the great post.
ReplyDeleteBTW I am visiting from Faith Filled Fridays. :)
Tiffany
http://thecraftyhome.net
Hi Dear, I am going to feature you this week :)
ReplyDeleteI love that song, not one I had ever heard before.
Love that song! I agree with you. It is hard to live with another person. The knowledge of what a marriage commitment really is in God's eyes is so important to have. When you understand what it means to Him, then it is easier to keep that commitment. I am so thankful to have had that understanding before I was married, but it is never too late. Thanks for sharing at Mom's Library!
ReplyDeleteI literally have tears in my eyes. You got me at the part where you two danced to "your" song while watching the program on TV. That's the kind of example I grew up with...and I know how very rare that is today. I am so grateful for couples like you and my parents who defy today's lackadaisical idea of commitment and truly make one for a lifetime. It helps us newlyweds keep cynicism at bay, while we watch marriage after marriage break up after only a decade or so. Thank you for linking up!
ReplyDeleteGail, this is absolutely lovely. When you said commitment it reminded me of Song of Solomon and how what we learn in that book is God's divine plan for us as married couples. He wants us to have a relationship with our spouse where both of us are 100% committed to each other and our marriage.
ReplyDeleteI love how you and your husband got up to dance to your song. That had to be a special moment for the both of you.
Blessings.