June 14, 1986 - If I was going to be a smart aleck, or had a desire to sleep on the couch, I would say this is a day which will go down in infamy. However, since I like my bed, I will simply state this was when I made the smartest decision I ever made in my life: marrying my wife.
Thirty two years of marriage have seen many ups and downs, good times and bad and certainly our share of knock down type arguments. In other words, our marriage has seen the highest highs and the lowest lows. Yet, through it all, I could not have a better partner and best friend to navigate the roads of life.
We live in a world full of marital strife. We still track at over 50% of all first marriages, and 70+% of second marriages that end in divorce. Many of the issues can be tracked to the fact you are bringing two imperfect human beings, with differing backgrounds and experiences together and they make a vow til "Death do us part." Doesn't this sound like an impossible feat?
In all the marriage counseling I have done through the years, I have NEVER used any book or resources other than the bible to deal with marital strife. With all due respect to those who have specialized their education, and professional lives to marriage counseling, the surest way to a successful marriage is to bring the two individuals to the feet of the creator of all, and designer of marriage, Jehovah God.
I understand that there are thousands of books, videos, etc. on the market which deal with "how to," advice, etc. of putting a marriage back together, but there is not a problem in the world that a marriage will face that can't be resolved if the parties would but humble themselves and understand they serve God in their lives both individually and collectively as partners. Remember 2 Timothy 3:16-17 - All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
The husband & wife need to be 100% committed to God and to each other.
Happy, strong marriages are definitely possible, but it takes work—an ongoing effort. We're all sinners who need a Savior, and when you put two sinners together in a relationship like marriage, it's bound to be difficult sometimes.
Our sin supplants sacrifice with selfishness in our marriages. If we want to experience marriage as God created it to be, a reflection of his sacrificial love and leadership of the church, we've got to keep him at the center of our marriages.
Your spouse isn't your Savior, Jesus is. Live that truth and your marriage will more likely thrive. The Christian home will impress society by the fact that everything is done to please God.
I encourage you to take advantage of the "Marriage and Family" lessons found at: