But you said,"For Better or Worse"

See, I told you all that I love weddings…. One of my favourite parts of a wedding is the exchange of wedding vows.

The vows are words that have been recited between husbands and wives for many years. “I take you, to be my wedded wife/husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part, according to God’s holy ordinance; and thereto I pledge thee my faith.” Some form of these words are the promise that is made on our wedding day.

We vow to take the entire person as our husband/wife, not just parts of them. We vow to love them not just when times are easy but also when they are tough. We vow to believe in them even when we can’t see it. We vow to honor them even when we may feel dishonored. If we scroll back up to our vows there is nothing that says, I will love you except when I don’t feel like it or I am upset with you. In all honesty, we agreed to love them through job loss, sickness, etc. On that special when we stand before all of our family and friends. We are making a promise not only to our spouse but to God. God, expects us to honor our promises to him because its his nature to keep his promises to us.

Now, lets take a closer look at what it doesn’t mean. It doesn’t mean that I can love my spouse when I feel like it, or when he’s nice to me. It means even when I am exhausted, frustrated or annoyed through it all my commitment or vow doesn’t change. Marriage is a daily commitment and it requires the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control according to Galatians 5:22-23. Girlfriends, please know that a marriage also requires forgiveness and grace.

When I reflect over my marriage, the tough times are what taught me to truly Love my husband unconditionally. In marriage we all hope and pray for the Better, but its through the Worse that we actually learn to love.

Did you have traditional vows, write your own or were they a mixture?

If you are not yet married, how do you imagine your vows?

 Photos by Ashley Canay and DrummItUpPhotography.com