YouCanFindMeHere: Making marriage work

YouCanFindMeHere: Making marriage work: Commitment. Devotion. Bond. Lasting. Good. These words can describe   marriage. So can these: Prison. Stuck. Drain. Abuse. Void.  If...

Making marriage work

Commitment. Devotion. Bond. Lasting. Good.

These words can describe marriage. So can these:

Prison. Stuck. Drain. Abuse. Void. 

If you could describe your marriage in one word, would any of these fit? Did you know that over half of married couples divorced in 2013? That's one divorce every 13 seconds. That equals up to 46,523 couples divorcing every week*. Shocking isn't it? Why are so many people calling it quits? Researchers have narrowed it down to 8 top reasons people say they ended their marriages. You can find the study here: reasons people divorce. The number one reason? Lack of commitment. The word commitment in Webster means to be dedicated to something. Many people today have a lack of dedicating themselves to one another. I'm not saying this is always the case, some of the other reasons were infidelity, abuse, etc. But for the most part, people just gave up. 

                                WHY? 

Why do people lose interest, lose the will to fight for their marriage? Is it the day and age we live in? Influences around us? Our moral compasses taking a downward spiral? I believe all of this plays a part. The world today tells us if we don't like it, toss it. If it's not working out as quickly as you'd like, get a new one. The reasons you gave are legit, divorce and move on. 

But is divorce really that easy? Is marriage really that hard to fight for? I don't know your own individual story, and I'm sure I'll be stepping on toes here, but what if we turned it around, to where divorce was really hard, and fighting for our marriage was the easier route? What would happen if we had the mentality that divorce was not an option? What would be some options then? Counseling? Church? Lifestyle changes? 

I urge you to rethink your choices, if you are contemplating divorce (unless abuse is an issue). Why not give it another chance? Fight for what was once good and pure. It takes two, I know, to make a marriage work, but if you fight first, your spouse will likely follow. According to Dr. Gary Chapman, if we express our spouses' love language, they will respond. What am I talking about exactly? You can check it out here. Sometimes we have to do what we know is right, even if we are doing it alone. Marriage can be a good thing. 

God designed marriage to be good. To be a everlasting bond between a man and a woman, to love each other and grow old together. To go through live's storms together and to lean on each other for support. To have a best friend for life. It doesn't always have to be stress and arguments. If you find your relationship in this state, take a step back. What is the root of the problem? How can it be changed? Ask yourself, what can I do to help and not hurt our marriage? Ask God for guidance. You may be surprised at how and what you can do! 

*  information found here: dailyinfographic.com/divorce-in-america-infographic
* All images are found on google.com and are not my own. Used solely for the purpose of enhancing this blog discussion.