The power of the covenant (Part 2)
In almost all weddings I attended, I heard almost the same words at the time of vows: "I promise to love you with all my heart, to cherish you, to obey you in all things (the wife), to support you in good and bad times, to protect you (the husband) ... until death do us part or until the return of Jesus Christ ".
Whenever the couple finishes pronouncing these kind words, the room is filled with emotions, everyone cheers the couple, some guests cry of joy and sometimes even the young couple cries with emotions. At this point, everything is fine, everything is great, it is like being on another planet. Today in Western countries, two people can go to court or to official authorities to look for a marriage certificate. They simply exchange the wedding rings before an authority of the country and kiss each other before him after the vows and he declares them husband and wife. It is this luck of seriousness which over time destroys the meaning of the covenant.
In many households, just visit the same couple after two years of marriage and you will find out that the good vows we heard on the wedding day were just a part of the ceremony not to say a theater. My conclusion is that most couples who pronounce the vows do so without realizing the weight of what they say. In fact, they do not understand the true meaning of the covenant. They see marriage as a partnership and not a covenant. Partnership is built on a CONTRACT while Covenant is built on a SACRIFICE.
During the vows, the two newlyweds are still filled with love and feelings and are completely unaware that they enter into a relationship that cannot succeed without the spirit of sacrifice. Everyone is motivated by what he will receive from the other without considering what to give. Most broken marriages are built on the spirit of receiving and not giving. A marriage can never be successful for a long time as long as there is no spirit of sacrifice.
The same is true for the relationship between God and his children. Your relationship with God will never remain strong for a long time as long as you do not have a spirit of sacrifice. Many Christians come to God in prayer with a spirit of RECEIVING and not of GIVING. It is important for every Christian to know that God wants to give us, but He also needs our sacrifices. The Word says: " I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living SACRIFICE, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service" (Romans 12: 1)
To be continued in Part 3
Chris Ndikumana
