My wife, Susan and I have been so happy to see friends who have had long-lasting marriages but have been saddened as well by marriages that seemed great but came to a shocking end. In a marriage failure, there are usually one or more marriage killers that are constantly present. For example, one marriage killer is comparison. One spouse might often say things like, “Why can’t you be more like her?” Or, “Why can’t we be more like that couple?”  When those comparing words are used, the person is basically saying, “I’m really not satisfied with what I’ve got in you.”  It devalues the other person. So avoid the marriage killer of comparison. Read the full list of marriage killers.

For more on parenting, marriage and relational truth, go to my blog, MarkMerrill.com.