7 Truths About Marriage You Won’t Learn in School

You can learn just about anything in school. But try finding a class that will adequately prepare

you for marriage, and you’ll find it’s like searching for a needle in a haystack. That’s why

Dennis Rainey, President and CEO of Family Life, came up with “11 Rules on Marriage You

Won’t Learn in School”.

A complete explanation of these rules can be found in Rainey’s book Preparing for Marriage

Devotions for Couples. Understanding these truths will be more valuable than the most

prestigious Ivy League education. A partial list follows:

1. Marriage isn’t about your happiness. The sooner you understand this, the closer you

are to a great marriage, which is characterized by self-denial, sacrifice, patience,

understanding, and forgiveness.

2. It’s ok to have a rookie season, but only one. Mistakes are to be expected, especially in

the first year of marriage. Just make sure you learn from those mistakes and aren’t

repeating them five, 10, or 20 years down the road.

3. It takes a real man to be satisfied with and love one woman for a lifetime. And the

corollary: it takes a real woman to be content with and respect one man for a lifetime.

4. Love isn’t a feeling. It’s a commitment. It’s time to replace the D-word (divorce) with

the C-word (commitment).

5. During courtship, opposites attract. In marriage, opposites can repel one another. You

married your spouse because of your differences. Different isn’t wrong, it’s just different.

6. Pornography robs men of a real relationship with a real person. It poisons real

masculinity and replaces it with the toxic killers of shame, deceit, and isolation.

7. How you will be remembered has less to do with how much money you make or how

much you accomplish and more with how you have loved and lived.

Mark Your Calendar!

Marriage Matters LIVE! presents Marriage Bowl 2013: Saturday November 23rd. A half day retreat for couples who want to win in marriage. Register in the lobby today!