In the past few years, we have seen so much uncertainty in our world. We have seen people lose homes, jobs and their security. We have seen protests over the inequities that have existed since time began. We have seen natural disasters that have displaced so many people in the world. At times, it may even seem overwhelming.
But I personally believe that in America we have seen one of the greatest disasters taking place in front of our eyes - Yet no one dares to speak about it. This disaster is destroying the generations which will follow behind us. It has helped to deliver unprecedented crime, incarcerations and anger. It has torn away at the very fabric that holds any society together. This is the earthquake of destruction reeking havoc among us: We don't honor our commitments. Our word is not trustworthy.
I hear commentators talk about how politicians flop and change positions all the time. We want to point to others, but we really should point to ourselves. The greatest expression of our commitment is in a covenant. A covenant is not a legal agreement, it is a person making a commitment regardless of what the other person does. It says, "I will uphold my end of the deal, no matter what you do". This covenant is best expressed in marriage. We covenant to love, honor and cherish and even say this in our wedding vows. I have never been involved in a wedding with conditional vows which would go something like this: "I promise to love, honor and cherish you as long as you make me happy and feel fulfilled". No, we make a commitment that should be unconditional, but it's not.
The greatest destructive force in our country is the failure of marriage. The latest statistics show that about 40% of all marriages end in divorce. Statistics also show that the divorce rate increases with each divorce - Meaning a man who has been divorce twice is much more likely to divorce than someone who is on their first marriage. Once we factor in the amount of couples living together rather than getting married, we see a huge failure of this basic building block of society. It appears that close to 60% of all couples getting married this year will live together first, even though every study shows that living together is the single worst thing a couple could do to protect their marriage. We have lost eh ability to honor our word. When I say "we", I am speaking of the church. Couple claiming to be followers of Christ live together with almost the same regularity as those who are not Christians. There is almost the same amount of divorce within the church as outside the church. So before we point at others, we need to take care of business at home.
What is your word worth? Will you honor your commitment even when it gets difficult? If you plan on getting married, there will always be a reason to walk away and give up. But what is your word really worth? Can your husband/wife count on you to be faithful to the vows you made on your wedding day? Can that person you are dating value you enough to wait until you are married to live together? Are you more willing to please God even if it means losing that boyfriend/girlfriend? Tough questions!
Please don't think I am on a rant here. I am simply pointing out what I think is the greatest weakness of the church in America today. If our divorce rate was just 10% (which is huge by God's standard), our culture would know Jesus makes a difference and Christians keep their word. All of this came to my mind as I prepare to go to North Carolina for a wedding. What insurance is there for Grayson and Melissa that they will have a lifetime commitment? Only their word to God and each other. Their wedding ceremony on Saturday is their opportunity to make public this covenant they have made to each other and God.
I am grateful that I married a woman who honors her commitments and keeps her word. I don't know how she has been able to put up with me for seventeen years, but I am glad. Actually, I do know - She has a dynamic and growing faith in Jesus, who has given her the strength to endure. You might want to read Philippians 1:6 to understand this type of commitment.
My prayer is that this Sip will refresh you to honor your word - Whether in marriage or in some other undertaking. Let your light shine and refresh others!
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