BulletProof Your MarriageSample

From a young age, I saw the example of my parents' convictions on life and marriage. My father was a WWII veteran who knew what it was to persevere through hardship and to fight for the things he believed in. My mother was a godly and highly principled woman who lived her life based on the Bible. Together they instilled into my sisters and I that marriage was for life. It was a sacred covenant between God, a man, and a woman.

David and I agreed in our marriage that divorce was never going to be an option for us. Our marriage was a long-term commitment. We knew there would be hard times. Yet our marriage deserved our complete dedication, and we were resolute that it was a commitment before God.

A covenant is a formal, solemn, and binding agreement; it is a pledge made through promises. A covenant marriage is a biblical term that is used when two people make a commitment before God (witnessed by others) to enter into the marriage union. By taking the marriage vows, a couple embarks on a journey that is intended to be holy, faith-filled, and blessed by God.

It’s easy to throw around words like commitment, honor, and love without fully realizing the depth of meaning behind these words. Unfortunately, many have stopped seeing marriage as a covenant and instead have seen it as a contract that can be broken or easily nullified. Society sees the breaking of vows as acceptable; our word is no longer our bond. We tend to live by feelings and passions. If something feels good, then we do it. We have become the microwave generation where everything is instant with little regard for perseverance and patience. We live in a world where “self” rules and where meeting our own needs is paramount. “If you don’t make me happy, then I’m out of here and will find someone else who will.”

Dodge the bullet of an “escape mentality” by recognizing the importance of your marriage covenant. The degree to which we honor the marriage covenant is the degree to which we will protect and work at it.