PROMISES

As I mentioned in this post, we are reading Tim Keller's The Meaning of Marriage in my mom's Bible study at church.  It is excellent.  Heady, but really good and worth reading.  The speakers each week have also been wonderful and give me more to ponder every time they talk.

Last week, the chapter talked about our wedding vows and what they mean.  It got me thinking about the promises that we make.  I realized that our lives and our character are defined by the promises that we make and whether or not we keep them.

Think about it.  If I say I will do something, and I follow through and make good on that promise, then you know that you can trust me.  That I am a person of my word.  But, what if I don't do what I said I would?  Then you will know that I am not trustworthy.  This logic follows through on many things in life.  If a product promises to take away stains and doesn't, you will never buy it again.  Things you say you will do matter.

Our speaker pointed out what serious things our marriage vows really are.  It is a covenant between myself and my husband, before God and witnesses.  We promised to put each other before ourselves and to honor each other no matter what.  How often do I carry this out to the degree that I vowed I would?  I am sure in that moment, I had no idea how hard real marriage would be when push comes to shove.  And, honestly, we haven't even had much shoving.  We just have real life, and it can rub you raw.  It can make me want to focus on me.  Only me.  Not God.  Not John.  Carol.  Always Carol.

A promise sets an expectation for a certain reality.  In this case, that reality is that I should put John above myself and above my children.  Only God comes before him.  And how easy is it to get distracted?  To let other good things crowd into that space that should be reserved first for God most high and secondly for my husband?

I want my words to be trustworthy, not only in this, but in all things.  I want to follow through on commitments.  I want to do the things that matter.  I want to love the Lord more than myself and more than things and really live like it.  I have a long way to go.

I'm thankful that God's promises are Yes and Amen.  (2 Corinthians 1:20)


On a completely unrelated note - here's a sweet picture of Bella and I from her birthday dinner at Outback.  We had a coupon.