Jan 13th, 2024: Marriage is not for cowards

Listening to a young man telling me about his broken marriage makes me think about the nature of commitment. I have told many young couples that they will spend their entire lives truly understanding the vows they made on their wedding day.

It is a story of betrayal and broken trust. It is also about how a relationship can go cold and sometimes die when both sides take each other for granted. Unresolved issues from family upbringing and the past also surface. They wanted to seek help but were too proud to take the first step.

Marriages are not for cowards because it demands courage to consider another person's needs more than our own. Selfishness plays a significant role in a broken marriage. We can have many reasons to justify our selfish behaviors. We cannot discern our emotional blind spots.

Marriage is not for cowards. I told him that one more time before we said goodbye.

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her." - Ephesians 5:25