In Sickness and In Health

 

In Sickness and in Health: Choosing Sacrificial Love

When we stand at the altar and speak our vows, the words “in sickness and in health” often feel distant—something for another season of life. In those early days of marriage, when everything feels new and full of hope, it’s easy to imagine a future filled only with joy and laughter. But as many couples quickly learn, life rarely unfolds without struggle.

For my bride and me, our marriage has been tested again and again by health challenges. Together, we have walked through bad backs and knees that required multiple surgeries, a battle with renal cell carcinoma (kidney cancer), and the chronic, debilitating migraines that she endures. The list could go on. Each of these struggles brought not only physical pain but also emotional strain. When health breaks down, frustration often follows. It’s all too easy to slip into discontent and anger, taking it out on the one person who is closest to us—our spouse.

And yet, this is precisely where our vows are tested and where love must show up. Jesus modeled this sacrificial love for us: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13, NIV). In marriage, laying down our lives can look like slowing down when our spouse can’t keep up, carrying the extra burden when they are weak, or simply choosing compassion over irritation.

We’ve had to embrace the “in sickness” part of our vow with open hands and willing hearts. When my body was weak and battling cancer, my bride stood by me with faith and strength. When her migraines leave her in dark rooms for days, I step in to care for her needs and keep our home moving. This rhythm of giving and receiving love is not always easy, but it has shaped us into a stronger couple.

The Apostle Paul reminds us in Galatians 6:2 to “carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (NIV). Marriage is one of the most intimate ways we live out that calling. It’s not about keeping score or waiting until the hard season passes. It’s about daily, intentional choices to love each other through the valleys as much as the mountaintops.

If your marriage is in a season of sickness—whether physical, emotional, or spiritual—take heart. You are not alone. God’s Word promises that His grace is sufficient, and His strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Lean into Him, lean into each other, and trust that even in the hardest seasons, love that endures brings glory to God and hope to the world.

Because when we said “in sickness and in health,” we weren’t just reciting a tradition. We were stepping into a covenant that mirrors Christ’s love for the Church—faithful, sacrificial, and unshakable.