25/06/2026
Ever wonder why we say "to have and to hold" at weddings? 💍 Before dancing to its melodious rhyme, know this.
I was recently thinking about how these words traveled from dry, old property law documents right to the altar. Historically, they were about legal ownership. Very formal and, honestly, a bit cold. But when we bring them into a marriage, they undergo a beautiful, life-giving transformation.
It’s actually a little funny when you think about it: we’re using phrases that were once meant for land deeds to describe the most intimate human connection!
But in the context of a godly union, the shift is profound.
📌"To have" isn't about owning someone. It’s about receiving them as a precious gift from God. As **Genesis 2:24** tells us, we leave and cleave, becoming one flesh. It’s a total acceptance of the other person, their imperfections and all, just as Christ accepts us.
📌And "to hold"? That’s our promise to be an anchor. It echoes **Ecclesiastes 4:12**, reminding us that a cord of three strands is not quickly broken. We hold onto each other because God is holding us both. It’s the late-night comfort, the steady hand through the chaos, and the deliberate choice to keep holding on when life gets heavy, mirroring the way we are called to bear one another’s burdens (**Galatians 6:2**).
We take these old legal terms and turn them into a living, breathing promise of support, mirroring the covenantal love that God has for us.
📌 **NB:** Marriage isn't a transaction or a contract you sign and stash away. It’s a daily, spiritual practice of continually choosing to cherish and support the person you’re with, keeping God at the center of the "hold."
Hold on to that spouse who hold on to you, and always remember the third strand that makes it all possible. 😊❤️
💝
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