No one gets married in hopes of getting divorced. Divorce can be one of the most gut-wrenching times in a person’s life. And it doesn’t matter whether or not you have kids to divide. The ending of hopes and dreams and the guilt and sense of failure that often accompanies divorce is painful for everybody.
Divorce strains relationships with friends and loved ones. Dear friends are sometimes at a loss for words and feel uncomfortable. This is true for adults and children. I have a few key couples in my life that divorced many years ago and I still miss the fun we used to have together as friends. Still feel the loss. It is oftentimes hard to perform well on your job during times of divorce and folks sometimes get fired or demoted or passed over because their job performance was not up to par. There is clearly a lot at stake.
The best defense is a great offense. If you are married and want to avoid the pain of divorce, for the first time or within a remarriage, work on your marriage. Take classes, read books, go to websites that focus on making marriage work. Join your church marriage ministry and make friends with other married couples who have the same goal of marriage endurance. Stay away from negative people who do not support your relationship. Misery does enjoy company. Hang around the people who you want to be like and who have marriages and families that you admire. You have all the choices in the world. Start making some good ones. You and your family will be glad you did.