Table of Contents
Lynn and I celebrated our 38th wedding anniversary yesterday. Because I think we should have God-honoring purposes to do anything (see Deuteronomy 6:4-9), I began to look for Biblical reasons we should celebrate our wedding anniversary.
Yesterday morning we both had tasks or errands to do which kept us going separate ways, but we spent the afternoon together. We started by running some more errands together. Then we went to a nice dinner at an Italian steakhouse. She likes Italian and I like steak, so we thought this would be a good compromise.
It was a nice restaurant and we were early enough to get a quiet booth. The service was well-timed, so we had the opportunity to engage in some thoughtful conversation, and just some quiet time for me to gaze into her beautiful eyes. Yep, as many people with long marriages will attest, our love is stronger now than it was 38 years ago.
Yesterday’s event got me thinking about why we celebrate anniversaries. We celebrate birthdays, we celebrate national holidays, we celebrate religious holidays. Lynn and I even acknowledge the anniversary of our first date (October 4th), but not with the attention with which we commemorate our wedding.
I believe there are at least three Biblical reasons to celebrate your wedding anniversary.
1. Celebrate your wedding anniversary because marriage is a covenant worth remembering
Because the Lord has been witness
Between you and the wife of your youth,
With whom you have dealt treacherously;
Yet she is your companion
And your wife by covenant.
But did He not make them one,
Having a remnant of the Spirit?
And why one?
He seeks godly offspring.
Therefore take heed to your spirit,
And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth. Malachi 2:14-15
…the immoral woman,
…the seductress who flatters with her words,
Who forsakes the companion of her youth,
And forgets the covenant of her God. Proverbs 2:16-17
God considers marriage a covenant, as He shows in these two passages. In the Bibke, this covenant could only be legally dissolved by a certificate of divorce, which Jesus did not recommend. He considered marriage a life-long covenant which God ordains (Matthew 19:6, Mark 10:9).
We should remember our marriage covenant because God remembers covenants. Our wedding rings are a reminder of our covenant just like the rainbow is a reminder to God of His covenant with every living creature on the earth (Genesis 9:16).
It was because He remembered His covenant with Abraham and his children that He delivered Israel from Egypt (Exodus 2:24, 6:5). He remembered His covenant with David (Psalm 89:3-4), and Zacharias proclaimed that God was going to redeem us “To perform the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant” (Luke 1:72).
Anniversary celebrations are a way to rejoice in God’s covenants and His faithfulness. It’s a model for our lives together.
2. Celebrate your wedding anniversary to remember God’s mighty works
Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works Which You have done; And Your thoughts toward us Cannot be recounted to You in order; If I would declare and speak of them, They are more than can be numbered. Psalm 40:5
Each of our marriages have memories worth recounting. It is good to recall and declare all the ways God has worked in our marriage. For some of us He showed Himself strong in the way we met or learned of His call to marry one another. Even those who weren’t Christians when they married can look back and see His providential hand working.
Telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done. Psalm 78:4
Wedding anniversaries are a good time to tell and (re-tell) your children the stories of how God worked to establish, strengthen, and settle your marriage (1 Peter 5:10). They need to be reminded that they are part of God’s plans, and that He also has a plan for their marriages.
Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! Psalm 107:8, 15, 21, 31
I love hearing couples’ stories. When counseling any couple about their marriage, one of the first things I ask them is how they met. It will usually bring a smile to their faces to tell the story. Wedding anniversaries are an excellent time to remember God’s mighty hand.
3. Celebrate your wedding anniversary to prepare for the future
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11
A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps. Proverbs 16:9
Just like New Year’s is a time for resolutions and planning, I believe anniversaries are a good time to discuss the future. Review your vision and mission for your family. Do your normal activities move you toward fulfilling them?
Depending on the time of year, your anniversary can be a good time to plan the next vacation or the next school year. They can be a reminder to plan other times to focus on your relationship. Are there any upcoming marriage conferences you’d like to attend?
Plan your next marriage celebration
When is your next wedding anniversary? Do you have plans for celebrating it? Check your calendar, and don’t let it pass without some celebration.
By His calling, in His strength,
Dean
*All Scripture quotations in this article are from the New King James Version (NKJV).
The Families from the Beginning newsletter provides twice-monthly insights and ministry updates. Click here to sign up for this email newsletter. Previous newsletters are here.
Families from the Beginning is Dean and Lynn Wickert’s first book about families can live by the principles in God’s original design. It is available in paperback and ebook format from Amazon.
The Story Farm is a collection of inspirational lessons learned on the flatlands of northwest Indiana. It is available in paperback and e-book format from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
