Renew Your Vows in 2024

By Simone Grant, Northern Virginia

After dating for seven years before committing to a relationship with God, my younger sister and husband were baptized into Christ and married right at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 – he in March (a few days after lockdown began) and she that July, three days before their wedding and only 9 months after the passing of our dad. It was a true Jacob and Rachel story in the making, and God blessed every step. To see them commit to God first and then to each other at a time when the whole world was being shaken was a huge testimony to God's enduring faithfulness and His ability to bring beauty out of chaos and life out of death. Three years later, they are still faithful disciples of Jesus and faithful to each other, and have a sweet, brilliant 2-year-old son.

Recently, they had an opportunity to reflect on all the hardship that came living through that earthshaking time and how it impacted their discipleship and their marriage and decided to hold a vow renewal ceremony to celebrate the endurance of their love for one another in the eyes of God and in the presence of His people and friends, and to commit to a lifetime more of faithfulness to one another with God in the middle. It was, as their son puts it, “Beautiful, wonderful, fantastic!” He is a very verbose 2-year-old.

Being able to witness this Spirit-filled renewal of vows was inspiring and made me pause and reflect on the Husband that I have (my Maker, Isaiah 54:5) and His vows to me and mine to Him.

God’s vows to me

1. To never leave or forsake me (Deuteronomy 31:8)
2. To forgive me when I confess sin to Him and others (1 John 1:9-10, James 5:16)
3. To not condemn me as I continue to leave sin behind (John 8:11)
4. To prepare a place for me and to come back for me (John 14:3)
5. To give me new mercies every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23)
6. To always live to intercede for me (Hebrews 7:25, Romans 8:27)
7. To advocate for me and testify on my behalf (1 John 2:1)
8. To die for me (1 John 3:16)
9. To heal all my soul's diseases (Psalm 103:3-5)
10. To overcome the world (John 16:33)
11. To take me from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18)
12. To carry me onto completion (Philippians1:6)
13. To take care of all my needs (Philippians 4:19)
14. To honor me if I honor Him (1 Samuel 2:30)
15. To not let anyone snatch me from His hand (John 10:28)
16. To never drive me away (John 6:37)
17. To come searching for me if I wander away (Matthew 18:12-14)
18. To come running for me if I turn back to Him (Luke 15:20-24)
19. To tell me the truth (Numbers 23:19)
20. To never leave me thirsty if I drink of Him (John 4:13-14)
21. To be faithful to me even when I fail to be faithful to Him (2 Timothy 2:13)

And so much more! And He has faithfully fulfilled them all.

My vows to God

1. To choose Him first even if it means losing others (Mark 10:29)
2. To put my feelings, wants, beliefs, views, etc. aside for the sake of His Kingdom (Matthew 6:33)
3. To be pure so I can see Him (Matthew 5:8)
4. To listen for His voice (John 10:2-4)
5. To know Him intimately (Jeremiah 31:33-34, John 17:3, John 14:7, Psalm 27:8)
6. To obey Him (1 John 5:3)
7. To always love Him like I did at first (Revelation 2:4-5)
8. To turn back to Him if I turn away (Acts 3:19)
9. To not be ashamed to introduce Him to others (Luke 9:26, Romans 1:16)
10. To let His love shape mine (John 13:34)
11. To be willing to lay down my life for Him (Matthew 10:39, Matthew 16:25)
12. To tell the truth when I fall short (James 5:16)
13. To run to Him for help (Hebrews 4:16)
14. To give Him all my anxieties, burdens and troubles (Psalm 55:22, 1 Peter 5:7, Matthew 11:28-30)
15. To add to my faith (2 Peter 1:5-7)
16. To keep my zeal and fervor for Him, His Word, and His people (Romans 12:11)
17. To serve with my whole heart (Colossians 3:23)
18. To trust Him and submit to Him (John 14:1, Proverbs 3:5-6)
19. To turn to no one but Him for salvation (Acts 4:12)
20. To remain in Him (John 15:4)

For better or worse

The truth is honoring my vows to Him hasn't always been stellar. There have been peaks and valleys in my devotion, distractions, desires for other things that stole my affections, bouts of depression that make rejoicing in the Lord hard, times when sin has so easily entangled me, and times where my love for others has not looked like His. But God, in His faithfulness, has never ever let me down. He has consistently picked me up from traps I've fallen into (Psalm 40:1-3), reminded me of His promises and mine, and has drawn me closer to His Word and His heart. For all the vows I've made, of the two of us, He's the only One who has perfectly kept them all. And He went into this relationship knowing that He was in it forever, “for better or worse."

How about us? We have all been rocked by a pandemic. Many of us have suffered losses in our families. Some of us are even seeing war at our doorstep. A lot of the things going on are making that "or worse" part look very real. For those experiencing grief of any kind, my heart breaks for you and my prayers rise with yours. For many, it has been hard to find the motivation to do the things we did at first. We've isolated from the Body, we've stopped sharing the Good News in an effort to appear tolerant, we've stopped confessing and repenting of sin, we've put down our Bibles and been influenced by popular opinions, we've not been able to grasp a sense of what Lordship looks like now.

But God has not changed like shifting shadows (James 1:17). His Word is just as true now as it was when we first studied the Bible and believed (Matthew 24:35). And His promises are just as good (Joshua 21:45).

So how do we renew our vows? How do we get back our fire for Him and His Way?

Vow renewals

I think it works with Him generally as it would with anyone we love. The goal is not to overwhelm ourselves with a spiritual to-do list or to heap on guilt for where we’ve fallen short, but to renew our commitment to God from wherever we are and to take a step to add the things of relationship with God back in. Here are some helpful tips for renewing those vows and rekindling intimacy in our relationship with God:

1. Come near to Him and He'll come near to you (James 4:8, Mark 1:35, Psalm 77:12): Be intentional. Prioritize spending time with Him. Be vulnerable with whatever is in your heart. Remember who He is, His goodness and faithfulness.
2. Walk in the Light (John 3:21, 1 John 1:7): Talk about the things in your heart mind and life that have broken relationship with Him. Talk to Him and with other people – be open and real, be “broken and contrite” with no excuses, no blaming, no vagueness, no attempt to save face. If your heart isn't broken, ask God to break it or soften it so you can be broken and contrite. Beg God to lift you out of the pits you've fallen into. He is able to do it.
3. Walk with God (Psalm 23:3, Mark 1:17): Go on adventures with Him, or go to the grocery store with Him. Have dates with God - special times in special places. Practice acknowledging His Presence wherever you go. Learn how to sense His leadings and promptings. Try to put His Word into practice as you live. Don't just read it but do it. Celebrate victories with Him, bring Him your sorrows. Look for His answers to your prayers. Enjoy His creation.
4. Search your heart (Psalm 4:4): Get to know what is in your heart and mind. How are you really doing? How do you feel? Is there anything troubling you? Have you fallen short in any way? Are you holding to His Word? Are there areas of doubt that you've been putting off confronting? Ask Him to show you what is in your heart - intimacy requires transparency
5. Be Still (Psalm 4:4): Put aside busyness and responsibilities for however long you can to spend time alone with Him in quiet. Quiet your mind and heart and let Him be God. Listen for His Voice. Turn off anxious thoughts for a moment and just be still.
6. Meditate on His Word (Joshua 1:8): Think about what He said. Though many translations of the Bible exist, His heart and His meaning have never changed. Go directly into His Word (not just the resources created based on other people's understanding of His Word) and refamiliarize and recommit. Study out things that concern you and find out where He stands. Ask Him questions about what He means and expect Him to answer (James 1:5). Don’t just settle for second-hand opinions about other people’s experiences with God’s Word. Go straight to the source (Acts 17:11).
7. Be active in sharing your faith (Philemon 1:6): We talk about those we love. We remember the goodness of God when we talk about it both with other believers and those who do not yet know His goodness. Talk about His Word with other people. No matter how you're doing, you have something to share about because God is ever-present in trouble.
8. Give thanks (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18): In every situation, there is something to thank God for. Make a list, either mentally or in writing. No matter how big or insignificant, a little gratitude can go a long way especially in a hard time. Remember the ways God has shown up for you in your life and in the lives of those you love. Acknowledge that any success you've had is due to Him. Consider all He has protected you from and all the ways He has spared you.
9. Know the Lord (Jeremiah 24:7): Get to know Him all over again. Learn Him deeply. Practice learning new things about Him. Search His heart as you would an intimate friend.

Wherever we are, whatever we've struggled with, there is no distance the love and arm of God cannot cross. We only need to ask Him to meet us where we are and commit to moving forward one step and one leap at a time.

Jesus, the Bridegroom, is on His way back to meet His Bride, the Church. Instead of making new resolutions this year, let's commit to fulfilling vows we've already made to the One who has kept all His promises to us.

Happy (Re)New Year!

Author bio

Simone Grant is a devoted follower of Jesus with nearly twenty-two years in the faith. She was baptized into Christ through the Blue Ridge Church of Christ in Charlottesville, Virginia during her first year at the University of Virginia, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in English, Language, and Literature. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Maryland, and has used her love for teaching to serve in Children's, Teen, Campus, and Singles ministries. Currently, Simone works as a Business Analyst and Technology Project Manager at an International Development non-profit. Beyond her professional life, she enjoys traveling the globe, reading, watching movies, dancing, and is a foodie; however, her true passion lies in studying and sharing the Word of God, through which she has seen God work powerfully in her own life. Simone enjoys undivided devotion to the Lord and resides in Maryland with her family, including several fellow disciples. Simone is an active member of the Northern Virginia Church of Christ.