Many others, given the age we live in, will have a greater number of these troubling factors. Their presence is certainly not destiny or unavoidable destruction, but they can translate into a few extra rocks in your back-pack as you traverse the marriage trail. It can therefore be helpful to be aware of the extra struggles you will likely have and seek help in overcoming them. Often, a remedy that is both most powerful and simple is for such couples to find an older couple who has successfully learned from and overcome the struggles of married life and can come alongside you and your spouse to help lighten your load with sage advice, encourage you on and most of all, just be there in journey with you.
It is important that those who care about the state of the family have a realistic view of its strengths and weaknesses today, the good and the bad news. This essay offers one important part of that picture.
Glenn T. Stanton is the director of global family formation studies at Focus on the Family and the author of eight books on various aspects of the family including The Ring Makes All the Difference: The Hidden Consequences of Cohabitation and the Strong Benefits of Marriage, (Moody, 2011), and Loving My LGBT Neighbor: Being Friends in Grace and Truth, (Moody, 2014)
