Tim Ellsworth

Dear Daniel: A little marriage advice

February 13th, 2007

Dear Daniel,

By the time you’re old enough to get married, there’s no telling what the state of marriage will be. It’s already pretty shabby. I was reminded of that this weekend, when I read that Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz and his wife are divorcing after 16 years of marriage. They have four kids, for whom I feel terrible.

I don’t know any of the details about their situation, so I don’t know if the divorce is scripturally justified or not. But I do know that far too many Christians are failures at marriage because they buy into the lies that society feeds them. And it doesn’t have to be that way.

Fortunately, the Lord has been gracious to me and your mom. Although our marriage isn’t perfect, as she and I are both sinners, I’d say it’s pretty good. She is a precious treasure more valuable than I deserve, and for that I am thankful.

And even if our marriage weren’t as strong as it is, we’re committed to it for the rest of our lives. As I once heard Christian recording artist Wayne Watson say, he and his wife took comfort in four simple words during turbulent times in their relationship: There’s no way out.

So, as you’ll most likely be heading down the path of matrimony yourself in a few years, here’s a little advice that I hope will be helpful.

Read the rest of this entry »

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