As we consider the book of Proverbs as wisdom literature, it is worthy to note that marriage is a good, honorable, and wise thing in the eyes of the Lord. As a matter of fact, Solomon goes on to say that those who find themselves a wife, have obtained favor from the Lord. With this in mind, can I encourage you to be committed to the conviction that a biblically defined marriage between one man and one woman is worth defending. I want to encourage you to defend biblical marriage in the most effective way you possibly can; through loving your husband or wife, and treating them as if they are good, and the result of God’s favor in your life. Many times, we think of defending the sanctity of marriage exclusively in the area of political policies. While there is certainly nothing wrong with being active in the political arena, it can be a dangerous distraction. Many times, we can get so wrap up in an issue like this that we mistake the passing of a policy for the actual function of a policy. For instance, the great wave of enthusiasm for traditional marriage would quickly die down were congress to pass a mandate that nullified any state’s legal right to acknowledge or perform homosexual unions that are defined as marriage. However, to do this would not be a victory for those in favor of a biblically defined marriage if they put no effort into making sure that their marriages were honoring to God. Sometimes I think we prefer a cardboard cut-out over the real thing. A cardboard cut-out looks good and can be very attractive, but it doesn’t do anything. A real marriage is good, but it is also difficult and can be very draining. It requires an active display of grace, humility, repentance, forgiveness, mercy, patience, commitment, and truth. I want to encourage you to defend marriage by investing yourself in your own and the encouragement of those marriages around you; outside of that, you are defending a cardboard cut-out.