Love and Marriage

My friend just got married at a fabulous location in Bordeaux, France. I wished I could have been there but he sent me some photos and I can tell you it was absolutely beautiful. They will have a lot of great memories for the rest of their lives : )



Not that a beautiful wedding guarantees a successful marriage. When asked prior to his marriage if he was "in love" with his fiancé Lady Diana, Prince Charles famously answered with the caveat "whatever in love means"... Ding Ding Ding !!!

In our culture, people want to marry someone they love who loves them at least as much. Of course around the world there are many different and controversial views on marriage and I won't go there today!

Rate yourself on the love and marriage scale 1 to 10;

1. Sorry I don't know what love is, I think I must be royal ; ) 
2. No thanks, there's no such thing as the "One", I'll keep my options open! 
3. Yes we're gonna make it legal some day but who really needs the piece of paper? 
4. What's love got to do with it? I've just ordered a Russian bride, thanks Google : ) 
5. Why not? I'll try anything once ; ) Let's go to the church NOW, Viva Las Vegas! 
6. The chance of finding the "One" is minuscule. That's why an arranged marriage by the people who love you most is best... It had to be you : ) 
7. I'd like to know who's making this stuff up because it's like I already knew you and I always will : ) 
8. The world changed the day we met. Our love is eternal, I'm a Montague and you're a Capulet! 
9. "Search your heart, search your soul and when you find me there you'll search no more! You know it's true, everything I do, I do it for you" 
10. I promise you today, tomorrow and forever! "I, ___, take you, ___, to be my husband/wife. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love and honour you all the days of my life."

It's a good thing to know what you are looking for in another person. If you want to know if you have found true love, you will find 1 Corinthians 13 a useful checklist. It's even better if you can replace the word "Love" in this passage with your own name!

"Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud, never haughty or selfish or rude. Love does not demand its own way. It is not irritable or touchy. It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do it wrong. It is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever truth wins out. If you love someone, you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him." 
1 Corinthians 13:4-7

The truth is none of us achieve 100% of the high standard of 1 Corinthians 13! But I'm sure every prospective wife is looking for more than a mere pass mark from her future husband : )

There's something more that the Bible teaches about marriage that people today are missing out on by not making the connection.

Not only did God in his love create woman for man, perfectly suited to all his needs and take an oath to keep them together (which he cannot lie). But also, in doing so he painted a picture for all time to show how much Christ loves the Church and how the Church loves him back like a bride filled with joy at her wedding.

So when you go to a wedding, and you feel all the love and hope and faith that two people place in each other, you should realise that is how God feels about YOU and will commit to you forever if only you will accept his marriage proposal! How about it?

There are three things that remain—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. 
1 Corinthians 13:13