Unity

At some point during most weddings, there is an action done to symbolize the Unity process that is taking place between the two people being wedded. A lot of people use candles. Their parents light a candle symbolizing their child. Then after the vows, the bride and groom take their candle and light a single candle together and blow out their individual candles-symbolizing the process of going from two individual lives united as one. This couple chose sand. The pastor explained it before they proceeded. He said that the two vases of sand symbolized their individual lives and as they poured it into one container it would merge into one and would not be able to ever be separated-symbolizing the permanency of marriage. 

Genesis 2:24

"Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."

Unity: It has been defined as the state of being one. It has also been explained as harmony or agreement between people.

Unity is something that can be wonderful but will take work. We are normally a very selfish people. We think about ourselves and what is best for us. A lot of times when people talk about marriage they say that it is a compromise- 50/50 but that is not true. Marriage means that each of you must give 100 percent. It takes work. I believe that God ordained marriage and we must have Christ as the center of our marriages. If Christ is the head and both the husband and wife look to Christ first then He will never lead them astray. Christ set it up for the husband to be over the wife-not to rule her but to protect her. He must answer to Christ for them. The woman should submit to her husband. God established the church as His bride to show the same correlation as a marriage between a husband and his wife.

Ephesians 5:23-32

"For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loves his wife loves himself.

 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church."

We live one day at a time, and each day we should strive to be unified as a couple. We should be in God's Word and making sure that our relationship with God is in good standing so that our relationship with each other can also be in good standing. Talk, talk, and talk. Communication is one of the biggest parts of marriage. You can't read each others' minds. And even when you have been with someone for many years and think that they should know how you are feeling, don't assume. You have to talk to each other and spend time with each other to know each other and be unified in what you do and say and how you live. It will be coherence to your relationship.

Remember your vows...maybe they went something like this,

" Do you, ___________, standing in the presence of God and these witnesses, solemnly pledge your faith to ___________ . Do you promise to live with her according to God's ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony; do you promise to love her, comfort her, honor, and keep her, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, and forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto her, and through God's grace to promise to be to her a faithful and devoted husband as long as you both shall live?"

Strive to be unified- Mark 3:25-" And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand."