The following was written by Belinda Elliott for growthtrac:
As the latest divorce statistics demonstrate, it seems that people are giving up on their marriages in record numbers. And unfortunately, the number of Christians divorcing is no lower than that of non-believers. Why is that? Why are so many marriages failing?
According to author and speaker Mark Gungor, the problem stems from couples’ expectations about what marriage should be like. Gungor is a pastor and a highly sought-after speaker. His “Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage” seminars are attended by thousands each year. After thirty years of ministering to couples, Gungor says the most common problem he sees in marriages is that couples don’t understand how relationships really work.
“People think that if a marriage is meant to be, it will just be,” Gungor says.
He compares it to Proverbs 14:4 which says, “Where no oxen are, the manger is clean, but much increase comes by the strength of the ox.”
“Like the ox, marriage is a great, productive thing,” he says. “But if you are going to have an ox, then you’re going to have ox poo. There is no such thing as a poo-free marriage. The problem is, many don’t expect to find any poo at all in their marriage, and when they encounter stuff that stinks, they see it as a sign that they married the wrong person.”
Contrary to what many believe, the success of a marriage has little to do with marrying the right person, he says. Read more
