Broad definition of “Standing for Marriage”.

I must be very honest. I do not like the word “standing in my marriage” or the phrase “I am standing for my marriage.” It is not the word “stand” or “standing” that bothers me, it is the word “stand” combined with the word marriage. The reason that this bothers me is that it is incomplete or unclear. I believe there must be more clarity to the phrase because it can be perceived that ANY marriage is worth standing for. It also makes one believe that we as humans have the power of ourselves to stand in a marriage. There is a broad definition of “standing for marriage”. This can include a healthy marriage where both the husband and wife who “stand” for the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman. Then there is “standing in marriage” for the spouse who is going through a divorce. This spouse is usually the one who “stands” in hope the marriage remains intact. They are most likely the spouse who did not initiate a divorce. Then there is the spouse who “stands” in a marriage even thought the other spouse divorced and remarried someone else. They “stand” on the word of God, which calls all remarriages after divorce, adultery. These are all noble “stands”, but there needs to be a word or two that makes marriage more holy. The words I am referring to are the word “covenant” and “vow.” The words covenant refers to a binding agreement between two parties. The word “vow” is a promise. If we use there words in a way that corresponds to the word of God, a marriage is a one-flesh covenant vow between a man and a woman in the presence of God. If we have these two words added to those who stand in marriage, it would look like this. “I am standing on my covenant marriage vow.” It is a marriage cookie that makes those who read to understand that God ordains the marriage. If we make others clear that we are standing on this marriage cookie, we are saying this: 1. Marriage is God design and therefore we as His creation must abide by this design. 2. It is an individual statement and applies to your part of the vow. It has nothing to do with those who vowed to us, it has everything to do with our vow before God and to our spouse. 3. It tells others that we put our hope, faith, and trust in God to restore the other spouse who vowed to us. We have no power of our own to restore anything. 4. It tells others that our first love is for God, the author of marriage. 5. It tells others that we will not compromise this vow to traditions of men or dark forces of the spiritual realm. 6. It convicts a prodigal spouse in order that they come to repentance. 7. It shows the prodigal spouse that love is not of this world, but of Christ. 8. It shows that when a prodigal repents, there is forgiveness and restoration. 9. It shows the ultimate love for the prodigal because this love points them to what he or she needs most…salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. 10. It shows the world that marriage is a one-flesh covenant no man may break. 11. It convicts those who divorced and remarried because they did not keep their first vow of marriage. 12. It makes no excuse for bitterness, resentment, unforgiveness, and treacherousness which of all are reasons to divorce. 13. Finally yet importantly, it gives God the greater glory because when He restores the prodigal, others will see that He restored you first. The next time you say that you are standing in your marriage, make sure you include the words “covenant” and “vow”, thus giving glory, honor, and praise to the One who created marriage. In Christ’s love, Neil Used with Permission. Thanks and God bless you Neil.