Contract vs. Covenant

Have you ever noticed there is a difference in how marriage is viewed? To some marriage is viewed as a contract. Others view it as a covenant. A contract is a binding relationship between two or more parties for the express purpose of meeting a mutual objective for a specific period of time (i.e. purchasing a car).  If indeed the contract is broken, there may be legal consequences for not abiding to what you agreed to in the first place. To illustrate, let's think about purchasing the car. If a person fails to pay for the vehicle, the car will be repossessed and that person will have a mark against him on his credit history.

A covenant is quite a different story. The best illustration of a covenant relationship is marriage. Here's why. Whereas the contract established the relationship for a specific period of time,  the covenant is an on-going  relationship. Whereas in a contract the two people are concerned with what each will get out of the arrangement, a covenant has a unique perspective. A covenant relationship takes the assets and deficits of both parties, and they are shared equally. Whereas in  contract the objective is approached in terms of what do I get out of this, the covenant, on the other hand, has the primary objective of serving the other person.

Marriage, as God has designed, is a covenant relationship contingent upon what do I have to bring to the relationship to edify my life mate.