For Richer or Poorer

See Part 1 in the post below!

For richer or poorer,

Newly-wedded bliss often means we start out near broke. Many couples bond over this seemingly endless dinner routine of sharing Ramen noodles and a pouch of M&Ms. When first married, we were more financially blessed than other couples, though not out of the woods in this tough economy. Poorer has not been a huge concern for us, and we are truly thankful for this fact.

For us, “for richer or poorer” puts more emphasis on the richer. How? We have really been blessed in so many ways that we find ourselves wondering how to best share these blessings. No, we don’t have mounds of cash. But we do have the opportunity to be generous. In fact, in our marriage vows, this promise is more than just sticking together whether we have a lot of money or not. It calls for the willingness to push one another to continually give. When we rest on what we have without looking to use it for God’s glory out in the world, we settle. The moss grows. Pretty soon, the fear of mild uneasiness and embarrassment poisons the water as the risk of your version of “poorer” takes root.

In marriage, we have to push one another, many times in ways that we don’t like; it can make us uncomfortable, or scared, or put a mirror to our selfishness. God provides His blessings no longer to me or to my husband—He provides them to us together. While our willingness to receive them is often unequal, our desire to push the other towards the good must be alike and unshakable. In reality, this vow is not all fidelity in a financial struggle. It was how to be generous in this matter so that we can be generous in the matter that matters more: love. 

Part 3 is coming next!