Successful Marriages: Successful marriages have to have Godat its center...

Successful Marriages: Successful marriages have to have Godat its center...: Successful marriages have to have God at its center. Marriage is “a give and take” between couples. At times, there are much joy and peac...

Successful marriages have to have God at its center. Marriage is “a give and take” between couples. At times, there are much joy and peace of mind, but in some instances there can be sadness, trials with a variety of problems. However, if a couple's faith is in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, rest assured that they'll be able to live triumphantly and weather the storms in their lives. Mignon McLaughlin (1913 – 1983), an American journalist and author was sure when she stated that “a successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.” This is quite true. McLaughlin recognizes that there will not always be happiness in a marriage. There will be ups and downs, disagreements, arguments, and disputes, but at the end of the day a Christian couple will know that no one's perfect. They realize the power of forgiveness and are willing to forgive each other for their indiscretions. It's often known that after a dispute a couple that loves each other will never go to bed angry with their spouse.

In successful marriages the welfare of the home has to be a top priority. That's why loving couples will do anything possible to put their family first. A husband and wife are sensitive to their family's needs and as their providers they will make sure there will exist the essentials for them to feel happy and secure. It means building a loving home, feeding family members physically and spiritually, having opportunities for intellectual and social growth, attending social functions, being able to rest, sleep and take time out for relaxation, and recreation. A family will recognize as C.S. Lewis (1898 – 1963), a British novelist, poet and lay theologian that “the homemaker has the ultimate career. All other careers exist for one purpose only … to support the ultimate career.” Nowadays, homemaking responsibilities are being shared by couples since both of them are breadwinners.

A New View of Homemaking

Mariella Frostrup (b. 1962), a UK based journalist and television presenter acknowledged that “the point of the feminist movement wasn't simply to set our underwear on fire and muscle into small spaces in the male-dominated workplace, but to create a world where the contributions of both sexes was equally valued and no one's worth was judged on their take-home salary.” Such a social awareness is alive and has even spread to same-sex couples that are tying the knot and setting up house. These developments in all marriages may not be necessarily well received in some fundamental Christian denominations. However, it's the law of the land to provide equal rights to all and with these new laws, gay rights are now alive and well - even in the armed forces.

Children in Marriage

In marriages children can be influenced positively and negatively. For with the American society it's often shown that children raised in single-family homes aren't considered a desirable form of parenting. Many of these children may find themselves with problems unlike those in two-family households, although this isn't necessarily true in all cases.

David A. Bednar (b. 1952), a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and past president of Brigham Young University – Idaho, observed that “a home with a loving and loyal husband and wife is the supreme setting in which children can be reared in love and righteousness and in which the spiritual and physical needs of children can be met.” Bednar realized the importance of love and loyalty of a couple in providing the ideal setting in raising their children. Yet today, there are many single-family homes, and more than fifty percent of all marriages end in divorce.

In addition, marriages are further compounded by same-sex couples that have rights to adopt kids, blended family structures, and without adhering them any faith tradition. Immanuel Kant (1724 – 1804), a German philosopher considered the central figure of modern philosophy, realized that “morality is not the doctrine of how we may make ourselves happy, but how we may make ourselves worthy of happiness.” It's certain that worldly desires are not the answer. To be truly worthy of happiness persons can only discover this through the Christian faith.