Remember these familiar words? “For richer or poorer, better or worse, in sickness or in health . . . Till death do us part.”

Marriage vows are a public declaration of a couple’s commitment and how they intend to love each other. 

But, for many couples, what they say they will do and what they actually do are world’s apart.

Marriage vows are a sacred promise to ourselves, our spouse, and God; they declare the kind of partner we will be and how we will love our mate. 

We promise to love, honor, and cherish each other. Think about those words for a minute and let each sink in; love, honor, and cherish. 

What does it mean to you to love, honor, and cherish? Each of us decides how to honor our marriage vows. To honor something is to regard it with great respect, and to cherish means to treasure. We need more than words for a strong and happy marriage; we need action; love is a verb.

What Does It Look Like To Honor Your Marriage Vows?

What does it look like to you for you to honor your marriage vows to yourself, God, and your spouse?

Let’s start with love. 

Love is a feeling, yes, but it’s so much more. 

If spouses only loved each other when they felt like it, every marriage would end in divorce because sometimes you feel like running from your partner instead of loving them. 

Infatuation is a feeling. 

Love is a choice.  

Love goes beyond infatuation and feelings; love is a decision.

You choose to love your spouse no matter what. Why? Because you decided to! 

Despite their annoying habits that frustrate you to no end, like not closing doors or leaving clothes strewn across the floor, snoring that can raise the dead, squeezing the toothpaste tube in the middle, eating a bit too much, or even if they lose their job, you still love them. 

We choose to love our spouse daily because we promised. 

The feelings will follow when you act on the promise to love your spouse.

Whoever said that “feelings follow action” wasn’t wrong.  

You honor your marriage vows when you choose daily to renew your promise to love your spouse.

Honoring Your Spouse

To honor is to regard with great respect. 

Both men AND women want and deserve respect. And in marriage, we promise to regard our spouse with great respect!

Disrespect is a source of so many marriage problems. Consider people you respect and how you treat them. Now, think about people you don’t respect and how you treat them differently.

When you lose respect for your spouse, your marriage begins to unravel. 

Respect is absolutely essential for a healthy and happy marriage. 

Cherishing Your Spouse

When you cherish someone, you hold them dear. You protect and care for them lovingly.

To cherish someone is to treasure them. And when you treasure your spouse, you adore them with loving admiration.  

Love, Honor, And Cherish…

Isn’t it interesting that the very first three words we utter in our wedding vows are usually the first three things we lose somewhere along the way in our marriage?

For a marriage to work, the husband and wife must honor their vows with all their heart, mind, and soul.

We don’t just honor our vows only when we feel like it; that’s easy. 

We honor our vows even when we don’t feel like it (especially when we don’t feel like it). 

Imagine what marriage would be like if both the husband and the wife truly loved, honored, and cherished each other. 

Imagine what kind of marriage they could have if they treasured each other, treated each other with great respect, and loved each other no matter what. 

Imagine what would happen if they cared deeply for and protected each other’s physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being.

As we begin 2023, what kind of marriage do you want this year? 

Marital bliss is possible, and it begins with keeping your sacred promise to love, honor, and cherish each other no matter what, all day every day.