Commitment

Forty-four years ago this Friday Tina and I stood before family and friends at the First Baptist Church of Chamblee, Georgia and said, “I do.”  Can I just be blunt with you?  A pastor getting married three days before Christmas might not have been the wisest decision we ever made. Of course, I was not a pastor at the time, but we both knew that God had called me.

            There were those who will remain nameless who wondered if it would last. At this point I think we will make it. I told her recently that if she left me I was going with her. I know it’s an old joke, but I meant it. 

            With the death of Rosalyn Carter last month there has been a lot of conversation about long marriages. She and Jimmy were married 77 years.  That’s difficult to fathom.  How do you do that?  Well, the obvious first thing is that you have to live a long time, and that’s not something you control. 

            But there are things that you can do. There has to be an absolute commitment to one other person.  You have to determine not to use the D word.  Tina has quoted Ruth Graham on many occasions. “I don’t believe in divorce, but murder has crossed my mind.”  She’s joking…I think.  But the premise is the same. You must be committed to each other, because living with another person can simply be hard.

            Compromise is necessary.  There are simply times when you must realize that some hills aren’t worth dying on.  Selfishness is natural to us all. We all want what we want, and we usually want it right now.  But you have to be willing to sacrifice and give. 

            I am convinced that the greatest secret to a long marriage is a strong commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ.  Putting Him first in our lives has helped us learn to love and serve each other.  Celebrating His birth while also celebrating our anniversary has actually been a lot of fun through the years.

            I pray that we will continue to be faithful to our vows.  We’ve been blessed to have more good times than bad, and more health than sickness. But the goal is to be faithful no matter what.  Thank God for His faithfulness to us.  Happy anniversary, Sweetheart. I’d do it all over again.