There are No Prenups for the Bride of Christ

Earlier this week a young man named Matthew walked into my office and asked if I could look over a Prenuptial Agreement that his fiancé’s attorney had drawn up. He wanted to know if I could examine it and make sure it was something he should sign.

The minister in me wanted to tell him, yes I can look at it but no you shouldn’t be agreeing to it.

A Prenuptial Agreement, also referred to as a Prenup, is a legally binding agreement that establishes the property and financial rights of an individual in case of a divorce.

While as an attorney I can certainly understand the value of a prenup, as a Christian it sends up a red flag of the lack of commitment.

As I was reading the document I paused to ask the young man if I could ask him a question about his upcoming wedding. He nodded and I asked “Are you and your bride reciting the traditional wedding vows?” He said “I’m not sure what you mean?” I said,“ Is you fiancé going to pledge to you take you, Matthew, for my lawful husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for ‘I, ___, poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part.’? “Oh yes” he said “we are.” I said “hmmm” nodded and went back to reading the document.

After I finished looking over the prenup I told him it was pretty standard and that I didn’t see any pitfalls as long as he understood that should they ever divorce he would have no rights to her present property and investments. He thanked me and as he was walking out I wondered how long before he would be returning for us to represent him in a divorce. And I wondered if he realized the contradiction of the prenup and the

vow they were going to exchange.

I then began to ponder how many Christians sign a mental prenup when they come to Christ. How many of them fall away because they never really totally commit themselves to Christ.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 22:37 “Love the Lord your God with allyour heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Theseare our wedding vows to Christ.

Loving Jesus is an all or nothing commitment. Anything lessmeans He is not truly the Lord of our life.

Rita Sanders