Monday, February 25, 2008

Marriage By the Book... Marriage that Lasts

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Christian marriage Q & A from a minister, writer and successful marriage partner of nearly 25 years!
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DISCLAIMER: While I am a pastor, I am not a psychologist, psychiatrist or degreed counselor. Please understand this (I will remind you often). What I *am* is a wife of nearly 25 years who has made many observations, both humorous and grave, enlightening and frustrating, and who has come to many conclusions about marriage. The purpose of this column will be to share the Biblical insight God has given on this remarkable union between woman and man, and to share the minuscule traces of wisdom that I've acquired from doing marriage wrong, and doing it right!

Q: I'm not married yet, but when I do marry, I want it to last forever. What can I do to ensure I don't end up in divorce court like so many of my friends?

Read Marriage By the Book... Priority One! And then be sure that you give your marriage priority in your life. If you're serious about building a successful marriage, it takes work... a LOT of work. That old adage that "marriage is a 50/50 proposition" is a lot of hogwash (what IS hogwash, anyway?). At any rate, it just isn't true. Marriage takes 100% from BOTH partners to succeed. Don't ever let anyone tell you differently!

There may be times when one partner is able -- or required -- to give more than the other. But at other times those roles will be reversed. We carry each other sometimes. That's one of the reasons we're together. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, says "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up..." This applies to marriage as well. It's a partnership that involves teamwork and devotion.

Put Christ first in your life and your spouse second, and you'll do a lot toward ensuring you never end up in divorce.

(All scripture references taken from the NIV.)

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Darlene "Dee" Bishop is a writer and creative designer with decades on online experience and the owner of Bishop's Corner, an online/catalog shop offering hundreds of quality gifts, home decor items, toys, housewares, furniture and more with nearly 1,000 products under $20. Visit her today at http://BishopsTN.com

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