Three Reasons I Protect My Marriage

Yesterday, we released our short new eBook, How to Build a Home (Not a House). We often write, and podcast, about marriage and family, because it is one of our great passions. We want families to not only survive, but thrive, despite the constant battle for our homes.

On June 5, 1999 I stood before a preacher, a crowd of witnesses, and my Lord. Before them all, I said those powerful words, “I do.” As I suppose is true with nearly every new husband, the full weight of what those words meant did not hit me, and they probably still have not fully hit met.

Leah is a treasure, and I firmly believe that God providentially brought us together, but there are other women in the world. And, besides, we live in a “whatever” society, as far as marriage vows go. Why, then, do I fight so hard to protect my marriage?

1. It reflects how Christ protects His Church. As a Christian, I am fully convinced of the truth of Ephesians 5:25-33, where we are told that the husband-wife relationship is an earthly picture of the powerful relationship between Christ and His Church. My life as a husband is meant to show Christ to the world through how I love and lead my wife. Part of that leadership is protection of the covenant we made. Failure to guard those words does not display Christ to a world where He is already so dim to so many.

2. It shows that I am a man of my word. “Integrity” is a word that means a lot to me. I am nowhere near perfect, but I want people to know that my word is binding and standing (see James 5:12). There are some things I cannot keep others from thinking about me, but when I said “I do,” I can show that those words resonate and will be kept. When I start flirting with other women or letting my eyes wander, I am forfeiting my integrity. My wife should know that those two simple words, “I do,” are my bond to her forever, and the world should know the same by how I protect my covenant with my wife.

3. Leah is deserving of it. I want a marriage that lasts and is thriving for personal reasons, but I also want such for Leah. She is the woman God gave to me and the one to whom I pledged my life. That was true those years ago, and it continues to be true. As a Christian woman made in the image of God, she is deserving of a man who will stand for the vows of marriage. If she wasn’t, why would I have married her in the first place? But I did, because I knew her to be so, so I want to protect her trust in our relationship and in our vows.

Our world thinks life-long, committed marriage is an antiquated idea. I disagree, and plan to keep protecting my marriage for “as long as we both shall live.”

QUESTION: What other reasons would you give for protecting your marriage? Share your answers in the comments below.

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Background photo credit: State Farm on Creative Commons

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