Let’s begin with three short stories that spell out the challenge of building a strong and happy marriage. First story: A man was observing a couple and said to his wife, ‘Look at them, they look so happy.’ She said, ‘Don’t be so sure, they’re probably saying the same thing about us.’ Second story: A woman once said, ‘My husband and I have a very happy marriage. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for him, and there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for me. So we’ve gone through life doing nothing for each other.’ Third story: A husband told his friend, ‘My wife and I have decided never to go to bed angry.’ His friend asked, ‘How’s that working?’ He replied, ‘We haven’t slept in a month.’ Seriously, the biggest challenge in marriage is selfishness. When two people each put their own desires and interests first, their relationship is headed for trouble and possibly a divorce court. What’s the answer? These inspired words were written almost two thousand years ago, but they are still God’s formula for a stable and successful marriage: ‘Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. Love is not rude, is not selfish, and does not get upset with others. Love does not count up wrongs that have been done. Love takes no pleasure in evil but rejoices over the truth. Love patiently accepts all things. It always trusts, always hopes, and always endures. Love never ends…So these three things continue forever: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love’ (vv. 4-8, 13 NCV).
