For the past couple of weeks, I have been bombarded with news about couples who are having trouble in their marriages. As I was praying for each of them this morning, two words came to mind: commitment and covenant. Then it hit me…

There are a lot of reasons why couples get into fights– finances, parenting styles, work and career concerns, intimacy issues….different things, at different levels. But a common denominator that we can note in all these issues is the lack of proper communication. And I say “proper” communication because it is so easy to assume that spouses communicate as long as they talk and seemingly listen; But it takes selflessness, humility, trust, and love for real communication to take place in a marriage. And of course, for all of this to happen, it takes a lot of time. Time, which can be equated with the word commitment.

I’ve noticed that a lot of times, husbands and wives find it difficult to set aside time for each other. When asked why, most say that though they do prioritize their spouses (so they say), it is just difficult for them because they have other commitments that they have to fulfill and be responsible for.

I agree– there are far too many things that we commit ourselves to, to the point that a lot of times these other commitments are placed at the same level as that of our marriages. We fail to remember that more than being a commitment, what sets our marriages apart from all the other commitments is that it is a covenant. A covenant is something that God takes much more seriously, as it involves not just both husband and wife, but God himself. When we fail to fulfill a certain “commitment”, there will be consequences, yes…but most of which affect us temporarily. When we fail to fulfill a covenant, on the other hand, the consequences have eternal and lasting repercussions.

God takes our marriage vows seriously. It is not just a contract we sign or a shallow promise we make. It is an invitation for God himself to bind two separates into one whole. That is why HE said “what God has joined together, let no man separate” (Mark 10:9).

God has purposed our marriages to be like that of His love relationship with us–unconditional and selfless, even to the point of death. He said that nothing in heaven or on earth can separate us from His love. He has made a covenant with us, and He has been taking it seriously since the beginning of time– and up until the end. I hope we all do the same.