When I got married in ‘98, I did some research into the statistics of divorce for myself (for reasons not necessary to get into) and found that this is surprisingly true. Generally speaking, about half the people who are married now have been or will be divorced - regardless of religious affiliation. Worse, if you come from a family of divorce, your odds are higher. And if I remember right, at least half of all 2nd and 3rd marriages end in divorce, too. It’s a sad statistic. With no real evidence to support it, I’ve always thought it had to do with two things: 1.) The “ME” attitude people have — you know, it’s all about what I want, what I need, what I’m not getting — the “ME” attitude isn’t very compatible with things like “love your neighbor as yourself,” “do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” “love your wives,” and “submit to your husbands.”; and 2.) Our consumer, get-it-now, get-it-fast, “get rid of it when you’re tired of it and get a new one,” mindset. Some people treat marriages like they treat cars. And even if they don’t go that far, a lot of people still get married thinking “if it doesn’t work out, we’ll just get divorced.”

On the other hand, for those (of us) who still view marriage sacredly, God’s commandments as absolute, and God’s providence as all-sufficient, divorce is not “an option,” a “panic-button,” or a “get out of jail free card.” To think so would be to say, “I don’t put God in charge of everything, and I don’t trust Him to meet all my needs.”

Your last line says it very nicely, I strongly agree with that. I constantly have to remind myself of his “rule” and “role” in my life. He’s the center not the edge.