Accountable

I recently officiated a wedding. The ceremony was simple, lovely, and ended with another couple professing to keep the covenant of marriage.

But it all started with a clarification...from me. At our first premarital counseling session, as I have done with every couple I have agreed to marry, I clarified a couple of matters.

First, I officiate Christian weddings, where both spouses-to-be are professing Christians. I firmly believe that marriage is difficult enough, without adding disagreements about God into the mix.

Second, as a minister of Jesus Christ, I believe the pastor’s role in a wedding is to represent the blessing of God on that union. So we have several sessions of premarital counseling where we discuss married life.

It’s not that I have this imaginary card in my head, with a picture of me on the front and my stats on the back. (You know, like a baseball card.)

Ok, I do picture cards. Pastor cards! And being a competitive guy, I want my stats to look good. The number of couples I have married should be similar to the number of those couples who are still married.

Ok, silliness of pastor cards aside (but would you buy a pack of these if they came with gum?) I tell every couple the same thing. I take my role in a wedding seriously because I believe I am accountable to God for my part. If I’m going to tell people that I believe God has blessed this union, I’d better be sure I’ve prayed about, over, and for the couple.

Ok But...

That all sounds nice, but this weekend I started thinking about that statement. I am accountable to God. Yes, of course I am. But I’m also accountable to God for every action I take. For every thought I think. For every word I say.

There is nothing hidden from God. For that matter, we are all accountable to God. Every word. Every thought. Every action.

What would happen if we put as much thought and as much energy to acknowledging our responsibility before God as I do when officiating a wedding? Wouldn’t we take more care in considering our next steps?

I prayed for this couple and their family during every one of our premarital counseling sessions. I prayed for this couple and their family as I was preparing for those sessions. I prayed for them as I prepared the wedding program, during the wedding, and now I am lifting them up before God after the big day.

Shouldn’t I take this much care with all of my life? Shouldn’t we all?

We are accountable to God.