I heard a radio ad today for a jeweller that specialises in wedding rings. Part of the copy mentioned "the most important day of her life."

Okay, clearly, I am all about marriage, but frankly the day of our wedding is not the most important day in my life - or in hers.  There are several other days for each of us that are far more important - days in which we made significant and life changing commitments to the Lord.  I say days because while "salvation" is a point, becoming a servant to the King of Kings is usually a process with more than one point of significant change.

It is my commitment to the Lord that makes it possible for me to be a good, loving, and generous husband. Likewise, it is her commitment to the Lord that makes it possible for her to be a good, loving and generous wife. That makes those days not just more important for each of us, but also more important for our life together than the day we wed.

I have on occasion said that my bride is the daughter of God, and that I don't want my "father in law" to be displeased with how I treat His little girl. And while this is partly a joke, there is some very deep truth in it. When I disrespect my bride, when I put her off out of selfishness, when I yell at her, ignore her, and so on and so forth - I am doing all these things to someone who God loves dearly. When I am not loving to her, my image of who she is does not match the image God has of her - and odds are His image is more valid than mine.