Understanding Marriage Built On Covenant
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 13:34 [NIV]
Every marriage rests on something. The honest question is…On what? For many couples, the foundation of their marriage can suddenly shift without either person deciding to move it. Careers, kids, old wounds, and even genuinely good things like ministry, can all slide into the space that was meant for God and each other. And when that happens, love stops feeling like something you’re standing on. Instead, it starts feeling more like something you have to keep renegotiating.
However, God never designed your marriage to run on its own supply. He designed it to run on His!
Scripture further confirms that it’s His constant supply of unconditional love and grace that establishes the firm foundation for marriage. In John 13, Jesus encourages His followers to love one another: “As I have loved you.” Then, the Apostle Paul picks up that same sentiment in Ephesians 5, applying it directly to marriage and calling husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church, sacrificially and without condition. The key phrase here is, “As Christ” loves, so we are to love.
Marriages built on covenant don’t avoid the hard seasons. Instead, they stand firm through every season and grow stronger because of them. Marriages built on covenant tend to thrive when Christ is at the center of the relationship. And when there’s an assured faith that God will help each couple love one another better each day.
If your marriage has felt more like a transaction lately, perhaps it’s time to consider what God’s design for marriage would look like for you and your spouse.
Personal Reflection Questions:
- Am I loving my spouse out of my own strength and constantly running on empty?
- If so, how could I let Christ’s love for my spouse and me help shape the way we love each other?
Pray This Prayer for Your Marriage
Father, thank You for loving us sacrificially and without condition. Forgive us for the times we’ve placed You on the back burner of our marriage and tried to do things in our own strength. Teach us to love one another as Christ loves us, and to depend on You rather than on our own understanding. Draw us back into covenant with You and with each other, keeping You front and center at the apex of our marriage. Build our relationship on the firm foundation You designed, so we remain strong and united through every season. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
