Scripture text for Monday, May 10th, 2010: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
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I didn’t intend to choose 1 Corinthians 13, I signed up for a Monday so that knew I would have time to work on my devotional Sunday night. Then tonight, I realized what I signed up for. My wife even made the comment, “Yeah, I was surprised that you signed up for that passage.” I don’t particularly like the passage because it is read at every wedding, many of them Christian, in name only. There is nothing wrong with the text itself, I have simply heard it recited so many times, it begins to ring hollow in my heart.
Recited at weddings, the passage is usually implied to describe the relationship between husband and wife, but in truth it describes the relationship between Jesus and the church and a charge for us to keep. It is Christ’s perfect love for us.
Which leads me back to my own wedding. Seeing that both Megan and I were frustrated at the shallow application of these verses during matrimonial ceremonies, it would be a safe assumption that we skipped it entirely. Not true. We didn’t read the passage aloud; we rewrote the scripture into wedding vows (Megan did most of the 1st draft and it was her idea, a very good one) that we exchanged in front of ~250 people, committing to a very high standard of care.
I haven’t gone back and read our vows in several years, but today’s passage was a good reminder. I haven’t lived up to the commitments that I made. The more times I read today’s passage (and my vows), I am reminded that my ability to fulfill them is solely dependent on my willingness to submit myself to Christ and let the Holy Spirit work through me.
Here are the vow we read to each other:
Megan,(spoken by Everette)
I promise today to always love you, but not as the world speaks of love. The love that I promise is the love that Paul writes about. I promise to be patient and kind, never jealous or rude. I promise never to demand my own way or keep record of your wrongdoings. I will never rejoice in you injustices. I will never give up, never lose faith. I will always be hopeful and always endure. I understand God’s divine plan for marriage and I understand the role I was created to play. I acknowledge God’s sovereignty over our relationship. I vow to lead you by submitting to authority. I promise to help you and to always come along side you. I know that I would be unable to fulfill these vows without the Holy Spirit and I ask that he enable me to do so. I love you forever no matter what.
Everette, (spoken by Megan)
I promise today to always love you, but not as the world speaks of love. The love that I promise is the love that Paul writes about. I promise to be patient and kind, never jealous or rude. I promise never to demand my own way or keep record of your wrongdoings. I will never rejoice in you injustices. I will never give up, never lose faith. I will always be hopeful and always endure. I understand God’s divine plan for marriage and I understand the role I was created to play. I willingly submit to you as the head of this marriage. I promise to help you and to always come along side you. I know that I would be unable to fulfill these vows without the Holy Spirit and I ask that he enable me to do so. I love you
forever no matter what.
Devotion prepared by Everette Mills