This weekend I had the privilege of performing a marriage service for the daughter of one of our good friends. I guess we’ve all been to good weddings and not-so-good weddings. As far as weddings went, this one was great. We were in a beautiful setting with just close family. The decorations were beautiful and elegant and not overdone, and of course the bride and groom were picture perfect. But what really made this ceremony great was that the couple, at least in my assessment, were willing to step out of the spotlight and made sure that attention was focused on God. God was at the very center of it all.
Comedian Jim Gaffigan once said that, “Weddings are an important event where we spend a lot of money so the bride can pretend to be a princess and marry her prince and live happily ever after.” That is a pretty fair assessment. Weddings are big business, and brides are taught that this is their day to shine, the day to fulfill her dreams and fantasies. And in too many cases, even among Christ followers, Christ is shoved to the margins.
In our time of pre-marital counseling, I discovered something important about this couple. They had both been in good and bad relationships before but this one was different. Maybe because they were a little older and a little wiser, just finding someone wasn’t at the top of their list. They both were seeking a relationship with someone who loved Jesus and spent time with Him daily. Each one had recognized during their lives, that there was a hole in the lives that couldn’t be filled by someone else or by things. This ache could only be assuaged by Jesus and the love only He can give. What an amazing difference, to see a couple fall in love with Jesus and then to fall in love with each other.
How about you? Is your relationship with Jesus the most important relationship or is it further down the list? Like the song says, “Falling in love with Jesus, is the best thing I’ve ever done.”