By Lisa Deering
My husband is a pastor and has the privilege of officiating many weddings, and I have the joy of attending many of them alongside him. It is one of my favorite parts of being a pastor’s wife.
There is something deeply moving about witnessing two people stand before God and their friends and family, entering into the sacred covenant of marriage—promising to love, honor, and cherish one another, forsaking all others, until death do they part.
Scripture reminds us of the significance of this moment:
“A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one.”
—Ephesians 5:31–32
The book of Ephesians reveals that marriage was God’s idea from the beginning and that it represents a profound and sacred truth. Marriage is designed to reflect the love of God revealed through His Son, Jesus Christ. A husband and wife are called to love one another sacrificially—laying down self, extending grace, and choosing faithfulness no matter what.
God’s love toward us is not something we earn or deserve. His grace and forgiveness are freely given. In the same way, we cannot expect our spouse to meet every expectation or earn our unconditional love. Instead, we are called to love freely, even when it feels undeserved. When we do, our marriages become a living representation of God’s sacrificial love—a love with the power to heal, restore, and transform lives.
As Romans 5:8 declares, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
There is something deeply moving about witnessing two people stand before God and their friends and family, entering into the sacred covenant of marriage—promising to love, honor, and cherish one another, forsaking all others, until death do they part.
We love because God first loved us. We forgive because Christ first forgave us. Imagine a world where marriages consistently reflected that kind of love—marked by grace, humility, and forgiveness—the way God always intended.
“May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”
—Ephesians 3:19
