Relationships
6 What's so good about marriage

Read Ephesians 5:25

1. Do you feel that there is a negative portrayal of marriage nowadays?

2. The vast majority of teenagers hope to be married one day yet since the 1970s the number of marriages has halved. Why do you think this is, considering that there is strong evidence that marriage is good for you and pays dividends?

3. Most marriages do not take place in a church. Christian marriage emphasises the love of Christ (Ephesians 5:25) and his sacrifice for us. Do you feel that being unwilling to sacrifice is the main reason for marital breakdown because it leads to unreasonable behaviour? Is the happiness of the family more important than our own happiness and will patience and sacrifice often bring its own reward in the end?

4. Men and women are now more equal when it comes to rights and opportunities. In what ways has this affected marriage and how can we make sure that we get a good balance between work and home life?

5. Who should we marry? Must they share our faith and should we discourage our children from living together before marriage? According to statistics having children outside of marriage brings a higher risk of early separation. Is this a good reason to discourage co-habitation?

6. How can we support people in maintaining family relationships, and how can we make more time for our own relationships?