A study by researchers at three West Coast universities says that couples who stay together longer grow happier. The study, reported in Newsday magazine, does not say that time itself turns unhappy marriages into happy ones, but it does support the theory that marriages tend to improve with time. According to Professor Robert Levenson (University of California, Berkeley), couples who stay married "develop the ability to not lose sight of the love in the relationship, and to express it."

In Malachi 2:14-16, the Lord warned against breaking marriage vows. Society encourages divorce on the grounds of incompatibility and unhappiness. But we read in Malachi, "The Lord God of Israel says that He hates divorce, for it covers one's garment with violence . . . . Therefore take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously" (v.16).

When we feel like calling it quits, let's remember what God has said. To make a marriage that lasts will take work, patience, prayer, the encouragement of Christian friends, and perhaps wise counsel. When we encounter difficulty, the Lord urges us to clean the house, not to burn it down. We are to preserve the relationship while we seek the restoration of life within it.  — David C. McCasland