Aah, June…the most popular month for weddings. The month when those who have found the one they love vow to remain together “till death do us part.”

However, according to Demographic Intelligence, fewer people in the United States are getting married. So has cohabitation replaced marriage or are people merely waiting longer before tying the knot? And what about divorce rates?

The prevailing consensus that divorce rates are similar among Christians and non-Christians has been touted for decades. But according to Focus on the Family, the reality is that divorce rates among committed Christians is significantly lower than those who don’t identify as active Christians.

Still, Christians are vulnerable to attitudes and actions that work against healthy marriages. Even if we don’t realize it, we are susceptible to selfish, me-first perspectives. We often buy into the idea that marriage is a 50-50 proposition. We use phrases such as “a husband and wife should meet each other halfway.”

But marriage is not a 50-50 proposition. A successful marriage requires both people to give 100%. And there are times when one or the other will have to give more than 100%…to love sacrificially even if the other person fails to appreciate or even notice.

And one of the best things we can do for our children and grandchildren is to model a healthy marriage. To show them what sacrificial love is. And to encourage them with the assurance that our earthly marriages are but a picture of the relationship between Christ and His Church.

Our culture would like us to believe marriage is in decline. Don’t believe it.