Our society has created a model for marriage that goes something like this …
Boy meets girl … boy and girl fall hopelessly in love … boy and girl plan fairytale wedding … and the rest of their lives are lived happily ever after.
Unfortunately, that model has shown to not only be ineffective … but unbiblical as well!
Proverbs 21:5 states, “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.
Planning for your marriage … and the rest of your life together with your husband or wife is something that needs diligence.
One of the greatest indicators of long-term marital success is whether or not the young couple participated in pre-marital counseling.
According to a survey published in the Journal of Family Psychology, couples with premarital education reported higher levels of marital satisfaction and experienced a 30 percent decline in the likelihood of divorce over five years.
So what exactly is pre-marital counseling and why is it so important?
Most couples entering marriage are in their proverbial “honeymoon” state. Everything is new, exciting … and they are hopelessly in love with their spouse.
The problem is the reality of life hasn’t set in and these couples have not taken appropriate time to talk about and prepare for tough issues to come.
During pre-marital counseling, couples look to the future asking questions such as … “Do we want kids?” … “How many?” … “When should we start?”
They explore each of their family of origins to uncover their thoughts on issues such as … “Is going into debt okay?” … “Should we buy top of the line products … or shop at thrift stores?” … “Who handles the money and what does our budget look like?”
They learn basic marital skills such as how to fight fair … how to ask for forgiveness … and how to communicate appropriately.
If you or someone you know is getting married soon … encourage them to do their diligent planning by getting proper pre-marital counseling.
These discussions and marital “life-skills” will become the building blocks of a lifetime of marriage together.
