Marriage--and Character

What we have in our hearts to say could be said at any time, at many times; for it pertains to the goodness and purpose of life and to the peace and happiness of all who marry⎯and of children⎯and to the whole future of families.

First of all, marriage must be coupled with character. It requires character to live in this closest of all relationships of life. Marriage requires also kindly consideration, the overlooking of many small things, and an earnest disposition not to find fault. Anyone could annoy anyone at times, and anyone who looks for faults and flaws, will surely find them.

Marriage requires companionship and encouragment and confidence, and kindly, forthright frankness⎯not holding within the small resentments, the hurts of heart, and not sitting and brooding in silence. It requires keeping things out in the open, freely talking out problems as equal partners.

It requires also, solvency, with a realistic regard for income and outgo⎯with organized ambition and effort to get ahead, and with a measure of contentment as to what cannot now be reasonably reached.

Marriage requires self-control. There is no place in a good marriage for ill-tempered utterance or quick condemnation, or for selfishness or selfish indulgence. It requires loyalty and faithfulness and moral cleanliness.

No marriage should be allowed to become commonplace. Neglected or abused, it may possibly be brought back to what it once was, but it is better to keep it sweet and wholesome from the first so that there may be no scars.

But if offenses should come, let there be forgiving and let there be forgetting, always with the earnest intent of making this relationship last⎯for every privilege carries with it an obligation and every child brought into the world a real responsibility, and marriage must be founded on firm foundations.

Marriage is the most complete commitment of life, and as such should receive the best effort of all who enter into it. It must include willing work, sincere service, respect for each other, respect of self, humility and prayerfulness, and the healing power of love, and faith and common convictions⎯faith in God, faith in the future, and faith in the everlasting things of life. And to you who venture into marriage⎯and to you who have and to you who ever will⎯remember that respect and love and confidence must be earned every day, with encouragement and faithfulness and sincere consideration.