Is marriage supposed to be this way? That's what I wanted to know just two years into my marriage. I wasn't sure what it was supposed to be, but I was very sure the image I had and the reality I was living were two very different things. How could two people that were so in love with each other at one time end up being so miserable? To complicate matters, we were Christians and very active in our church. We couldn't let people know we were miserable. How could we have one life in public, and live another life in private? How could we be Christians and treat each other the way we did? The vows of commitment, for better or worse, richer or poorer, in sickness and health, until death do we part were looking like they were going to be very difficult to keep. I wanted out.
The problem with that was this nagging conviction and thought that somewhere in the Bible I remembered God saying He hated divorce. I didn't know much about a godly marriage. I didn't know God had an entire plan for a successful marriage. I naively thought if you loved each other the marriage would be successful. Before we called it quits, I thought I better find out why God hated divorce. That led me on a journey that not only changed my life, it saved our marriage and taught us how to live that blessed plan God has for marriage.
I found out God hates divorce because of the destruction and havoc it wreaks on peoples lives. I also found out the pain of divorce is felt long before the separation takes place and the papers are signed. Here's the kicker! The pain doesn't even stop after the papers are signed. Instead of traveling that devastating and very broken path, God led us to seek His truth which led to a very beautiful and blessed marriage. We no longer live two lives. Our public lives are exactly how we live at home. This study is the journey that God used to correct our course!
I have learned that all marriages are the same in that we have to learn how to be married. Christian divorce statistics are no different than non Christian stats. Being a Christian doesn't guarantee a successful marriage. We have to understand what a Christian marriage is and then we have to decide to live it. This study teaches all of that. It can be done individually, as a couple, or in a group setting. It is a repeatable study! I still rely on it because there is an enemy that roams about like a roaring lion seeking whom he can devour. Our homes and marriages are always under attack. Whether you have a good marriage that needs some tweaking or are on the brink of divorce, this study can not only make a good marriage better, it can save troubled marriages (and families) from total ruin.
I haven't even mentioned the blessings that flow to the children and the garbage it prevents them from having to carry into their adulthood. While I may have written this, the principles and lessons are not my creation. These are the truths God revealed to my questions of a) why He hates divorce and b)what is marriage supposed to be. I am so glad I asked, even gladder I listened, and most of all glad that we learned to live it. Most often our lives resemble the ones who raised us. It is not uncommon for the "sins" of the generations to be passed on to the next generation. If you want to be the one in your family to stop that cycle and learn how to live life according to the image you were created in, instead of the image you were raised in, this study can help you do that. Not only will the rest of your life be well lived, it will start a new and healthier cycle for the next generation!