Written by: Hannah Dziczek
Marriage is a covenant. God made a covenant with us and demonstrated this so we can perpetuate “covenant” in marriage.
The world’s version of marriage is a contract. You and another person say to the state/country we would like to join our resources legally and sign this document so that our governing authorities know it. A contract is produced for two people who do not {really} know each other, or perhaps cannot trust each other entirely, and provides protection and escapes routes. Think about business contracts. If someone does not uphold their end of the contract the other party can get out safely, and hopefully with their own assets intact. We were not designed for marital contracts.
But He did design us for covenants. His covenant with us says: “all that I have is yours, even my very life” and likewise, all that we have, is His (it was His first anyways…like even our breath…). That is a covenant. All that I have is yours, all that you have is mine. ALL. There is no getting out of this with “my” stuff – God won’t see me in heaven and ask for my righteousness, I am in a covenant with Jesus and His righteousness is MINE. There is no distinguishing between mine and His.
Further, marriage is not 50/50. That’s a good lie perpetuated in society today. When I first found out I was pregnant I was so sick, my husband was demo-ing our kitchen, working from sunup to sundown and I was unconscious on a couch for a month trying to keep my job. That is not 50/50. When our cat (his name is Aslan) was missing, our marriage was not 50/50, Ben was sitting outside with a fire until 11pm hoping he’d see him come home so I could rest. Marriage is not always even, but the great thing about a covenant is your strength is mine, and my wisdom is yours, and this house is ours.
If you’re single – date with covenant in mind. And ask the Holy Spirit to bring you a helper and counterpart for an enjoyable, life-giving, fun, strong covenant; and ask Him to prepare to be the same. If you’re married, ask the Holy Spirit to help you be in covenant relationship with your spouse, and what that looks like for you. I encourage you to spend time in prayer, reflecting on His covenant with us; how He spared no expense (even to the Cross), all that He has He gives to us and what an awesome reality we subsequently live in.
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