Why would I ever want to get married?  What is the purpose of marriage?  What exactly are you committing to when you get married?

Statistics show that almost 50 percent of married couples get divorced in the United States. That means that close to 1 in 2 couples are so discontent that they go their separate ways by means of a divorce. I think a lot of the difficulties that are encountered in these lost marriages stem from not understanding what marriage is really for or why we have marriages to begin with.

According to Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, “Marriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship.  It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found.”  Marriage is not primarily a social arrangement or something you do because you need someone.  That just leads to unhealthy relationships and codependence.  In addition, marriage should not be seen as a means of providing one with emotional fulfillment, or self-fulfillment in any way.

Marriage is a lifetime commitment to providing continuous emotional intimacy to your spouse there by connecting at deeper and deeper levels.  It is for us to serve and to express love via service and not self-fulfillment.  However, you will find that serving your other half and bringing them joy will ultimately bring you happiness.  As you begin to connect at deeper levels, your true self and character are revealed.  Once you have revealed your true self, you will discover a deeper meaning in other pursuits in life, and ultimately your purpose for being created.