A wedding ceremony is one of the most beautiful things you’ll ever witness. What could be more moving than two people standing at the altar vowing in front of God, their family and friends to remain together regardless of what life may throw at them? Those people in attendance are watching a family being formed. It’s a tear-jerking display, for sure.

But after the wedding and the ceremony ends, real life begins. Like everything else good and worthwhile in life, marriage is not easy. It requires work from both parties to keep the relationship strong, happy and healthy. In a clip posted on YouTube, CeCe Winans shared what else, or rather who else, has been instrumental in her 40-year marriage.

“Put Jesus first, making him the center of our marriage,” she said. “We would have been divorced a long time ago if Jesus was not the center of our marriage.”

Later in the clip, CeCe mentions that she speaks to couples a lot. During one conversation with a young woman, she shared that the Lord reveals something about herself to her every time she goes to the Lord about her marriage or about her husband.

“I said, but when every time I submit to Jesus, then He always tells me about me, you know? I’ll go to Jesus to talk about Alvin, and the Lord is, like, ‘No, it’s you. It’s you again.’  I’m, like, ‘No, it couldn’t be me again. I know I’m right.’” CeCe says with a laugh.

The clip ends with CeCe sharing what has helped to keep her marriage strong and lasting.

“So, the secret is both of us submitting to Him, submitting to Him,” she said. “And I’m so glad I have a husband who was willing to not just submit to Jesus, but also to authority.”

Genesis 2:24 “For this cause will a man go away from his father and his mother and be joined to his wife; and they will be one flesh.”