While I have not given up hope in my often painful marriage, I am looking for ways to deal better with the disappointment of not getting my "happily ever after".
Basing my happiness on whether my husband is meeting my needs or not is one of the things hurting our marriage.
I am going to buy this book, but will hide it well!

While I have not given up hope in my often painful marriage, I am looking for ways to deal better with the disappointment of not getting my "happily ever after".
Basing my happiness on whether my husband is meeting my needs or not is one of the things hurting our marriage.
I am going to buy this book, but will hide it well!

I would like to know thoughts on what if the reason for the difficult marriage is that one partner is unhappy with the others physical body, and they feel that it is the only problem, is the overweight & the lack of physical intimacy & problems that spread throughout the relationship due to that. ( the one partner is repulsed, so wants nothing to do with the other sexually) But the partner with the bad body feels unaccepted in general and feels a lack of love, and feels there is no real intimacy in the relationship in all areas due to this problem & the others attitude. I know there is both a loving,emotional, spiritual issue to sex, and a physical aspect. Should the physical play the greater rule.

No one is complete, (sinless) then why are those pastors teach that divorce is a sin, while the one who want divorce about to hurt his or her spouse and some of them already hate their spouse and about to commit really sins, we all could come back to Jesus ask him to forgive our divorce sin, like what we do for the rest of our sins, I understand that the pastor doesn’t want his name to be mentioned that he told someone to commit a divorce. Or any other sin.

This is a great article. It addresses some general concerns for Christians who are struggling in marriage. I would like to know the answer to the previous questions posted as well. In addition, I'm not sure how one person working on the marriage is to bring resolve. The Bible does state that the unbelieving spouse can be saved by the believing spouse. However, when does enough just become enough? If only one person is reading and praying and going to seminars and constantly working on the marriage, isn't that rather one-sided???

Hi.

Just to add to what Ward says, the word does indicate that the only reason for a divorce is adultery, and that should a woman decide this route, that she should remain single, or be reconciled to her husband.

What advise do you have for those who want to Thrive Despite, who practice a lifestyle of unrestricted sexual availabilty and forgiveness, who have their heart ripped out every time their spouse repeats an offense that is illicit, where nothing is lacking in the relationship.

How does the spouse move forward and look for the capacity to accept him as he is, and still feel fulfilled as being loved and respected and not invalidated?

Hi - My name is Ward. I read your article and I found it to be very insightful in many ways. There was one part early on that caught my attention. I have pasted the statement for easy reference:

"We have talked with hundreds of couples who have struggled in difficult marriages. This is a tough, sincere question many people ask us on a regular basis. As Christian psychologists, we believe in a tough, though often unpopular, answer: unless there is a pattern of abuse or unchanging immorality, the answer is "No, it's not better to give up on your marriage."

Here are my questions: 1: When you use the term "unchanging immorality", are you including adultery in that? 2: If so, do you suggest that in the case of adultery, it is ok to divorce? 3: In the case of divorce for continued adultery, do you counsel your clients that it is ok to remarry?
If that is the case, then I would submit to you that the scriptures do not support remarriage while the covenant spouse is still living.Comments?