In today’s culture, the idea of marriage has been reduced to a mere formality—a “piece of paper” that many see as unnecessary, outdated, or even restrictive. Yet, ironically, the same generation that dismisses covenantal commitment often places great value on another kind of paper: money. We chase “paper,” contracts, and secure checks to build wealth, all while avoiding the sacred covenant that God designed to reflect His love and order.
Situationships—those emotionally entangled, non-covenantal relationships—may feel intimate, but they are rooted in ambiguity, not blessing. No matter how long they last or how deep they seem, they lack the clarity, covering, and spiritual authority of a holy covenant. Before God, marriage is not just legal—it is sacred. It is a divine union, blessed and protected, while entanglements breed confusion and instability. This article explores why covenant matters and why settling for less is not simply a cultural compromise—it is a form of spiritual disobedience.
“So, they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate” (Matthew 19:6). This is a proclamation and a warning from God to anyone or anything that tries to come against marriage, which He has established. This warning and the value He places on these covenants do not apply to situations where individuals cannot publicly declare their commitments to each other before God and man. Marriage is not just a piece of paper but a vow that not only God holds us accountable for but also Himself, as He is its protector.
Marriage is not meant to be restrictive or outdated; it is intended to be a lifelong commitment. Still today, it serves as a safeguard against situationships or entanglements—unstable and fragile relationships that often leave us with wounds and scars that may never fully heal. Marriage offers a threefold protection: God’s blessings and protection for it (Malachi 2:14-14), our laws designed to safeguard the union and those involved when that covenant is broken, and family and friends, who, understanding the importance of marriage, should pray for the relationship and offer counsel when necessary to help the couple uphold their vows to each other.
We often ask God for His blessings and favor on situations we choose for ourselves, when it’s contrary to his choice for us and will for our lives. Disobedience is a form of witchcraft (1 Samuel 15:23), and no matter its form, it will never be blessed or honored by God.
Many, unfortunately, have settled for substitutes or counterfeits of God’s best for them when it comes to relationships—sometimes to satisfy loneliness or because of the love that has grown over time. Whatever reasons lead a person into an entanglement with someone who is not their husband or wife—and who is unwilling to make a public commitment before God and man to become so—there is only one question to ask: Does this reflect God’s love for me, when God says He is married to the backslider (Jeremiah 3:14)? The perfect, all-powerful God, without flaw or blemish, has made a declaration of His commitment and faithfulness to us—those who frequently betray Him. So, what excuse does any man or woman have of value that makes it impossible for them to do the same for us?
Suppose they cannot make a covenantal commitment to us, regardless of their excuse and your desire for them to do so. In that case, to protect our hearts (Proverbs 4:23), we should not highly value that relationship, and certainly not at the expense of our relationship with God and His best for us.
“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart”
Psalms 37:4