Too many marriages are failing. Even among Christians this is true. Such condition is a shame, a disgrace to the cause of Christ and a hindrance to the progress of gospel work. The following suggestions could help:

Begin Right

1. Have a scriptural right to marry - and do not take anybody's word for this. Be certain. (See Rom. 7-1-3; Mt. 19:9).

2. Determine to leave all others for your companion. You must accept responsibility for a new allegiance now (See Eph. 5:31).

3. Give yourself to your companion, to satisfy his or her fleshly passions, in full, reciprocal partnership. (See I Cor. 7:1-5).

4. Love your companion with unselfish, wholehearted devotion. (See Eph. 5:28).

5. Determine to keep your companion for life. (See Rom. 7:1-3).

Security Measures

1. There must be an abundance of mutual love --- sharing of love for each other. Real two-sided love, properly nurtured can hardly fail. (Eph. 5:23-25).

2. There must be sincere endeavor for unity in the home. Success will not accidentally happen to your marriage. (Col. 3:18, 19).

3. There ought to be sincere reciprocal apologies. A troubled marriage can be soothed and calmed if both parties will apologize with humility (Prov. 17:9).

Home Wreckers

1. Accumulative quarrelling destroys tranquility. Ordinary arguments do not lead, to divorce, but quarrels that never end-that are brought up again and again do destroy marriages (Prov. 21:19; 26:21; 27:15).

2. Unwise intimacies cause jealousies and lead to temptations that are often fatal. Too many men and women spend much more time with some other person than they do with their marriage companion. The divorce courts are full of those who learned to love another more than their companion because they had more companionship with the other (Prov. 6:24-35).

3. Unsatisfied emotions lead to overwhelming temptations. Each must be responsible to satisfy the needs of the other. Paul said, "that Satan tempts you not for your incontinency" (I Cor. 7:5).

Parental Delinquencies

Most marriages culminate in parenthood. And a marriage is not a success if the partner8 become failures as parents.

1. Hypocritical examples destroy confidence and nullify influence. Children are experts at seeing through any superficial veneer of professed integrity in parents. (2 Cor. 8:21; Eph. 6:4).

2. Undisciplined children will be unruly and will lead to sorrow and failure in the home (Prov. 29:15; 13:24).

3. Materialistic goals prevent many parents from providing the real and worthwhile nurture that children deserve. Your children need real parents more than they need real property! They need devoted attention and constant, loving supervision much more than they need the luxuries of this world. After all, what doth it profit you if you gain the whole world for them and lose their own souls? (Prov. 22:6).

TRUTH MAGAZINE, XV: 27, p. 10
May 13, 1971