Jesus told a parable in Matthew 18 about a servant forgiven a massive debt who refused to forgive a much smaller one. The lesson is simple: forgiven people forgive people. When we remember how much we’ve been forgiven by God, it changes how we treat our spouse. God doesn’t forgive us because we deserve it. He forgives because His covenant love is greater than our sin. Covenant marriage mirrors that same grace.

Covenant commitments are defined by the quiet, determined resolve to hold on when others let go. It’s the belief that love is a choice long after it’s a feeling. It’s what separates marriages that struggle to survive from those that thrive.

Most marriages don’t explode, they drift. They drift through neglect, through busyness, through complacency, through unspoken disappointment. But covenant love was never meant to drift. It was meant to be anchored. Guard against neglect. Fight selfishness. Choose to reengage every day. Covenant doesn’t demand perfection, it does require participation. It calls you to keep showing up. So don’t wait for feelings to return before you act in love. Act in love first, and fee

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be happy. God created us with the capacity for joy, laughter, and love. But happiness, as wonderful as it is, was never meant to be the foundation of marriage. Happiness is a byproduct of a healthy marriage, not the purpose.