Marriage is a covenant. In the Bible, the word covenant means “to cut.” You don’t make a covenant, you cut a covenant. Every time a covenant appears in the Bible, blood is involved. Jesus said, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28). That means sacrifice is central to the idea of a covenant. It is a sacrificial, permanent relationship in which something is to stay together.
The wedding vows we take are covenant vows. When we say, “for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health,” we are stating the vows of a sacrificial covenant relationship.
Unfortunately, our society has turned marriage from a covenant relationship into a contractual relationship. A sacrificial covenant says, “I surrender my rights and I assume responsibilities.” A contract says, “I protect my rights and I limit my responsibilities.”
In doing so, we act as if marriage doesn’t require sacrifice. We’re wrong.
A covenant marriage is built upon two individuals who roll up their sleeves and say, “I’ll do whatever it takes to make this marriage work. We are going to stay together.”
That’s why a sacrificial covenant mentality is central to building a lasting marriage. Whatever the issues are in the relationship, both individuals are going to stay together. Both are dedicated to fixing it. Both will sacrifice to save it.
