Marry the Right Spouse

If you want to have a great life, marry the right person! In his wonderful list of how to have success, H. Jackson Browne puts at the top of his list, "Marry the right person. This one decision will determine 90% of your happiness or misery." (to see the whole list go to - http://web.utk.edu/~jgoverly/21suggestions.html ) Of course, as in many decisions, hindsight is 20-20. We learn much about our spouse after the fact.
But our divorce rate would say that many people are making the wrong decision concerning their spouse because they are basing their decision on the wrong information.
Quite often people base this decision on whether this person is attractive (emotionally and physically) and whether this person meets their needs (emotionally and physically). The problem of course is this attraction wears off in a marriage and then your marriage is based upon more fundamental issues.
Paramount in the marriage decision is a person's character and values. Going on dates and spending bursts of time together does not often reveal this. Therefore, a person needs to understand their potential partners core beliefs before getting married. The Bible is very clear that the Christian should only marry another Christ follower. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 7:39, "A wife is bound as long as her husband lives; but if her husband is dead, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord." He states in 1 Corinthians 9:5, "Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?" In 2 Corinthians 6:14 he declares, "Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?"
Likes and dislikes, hobbies, thoughts on children and discipline, issues of money and work, are also important in making a decision about a spouse. Be assured, it's not about how someone makes you feel. Feelings of love should be there, but the marriage commitment should not be based upon this. To marry the right spouse you must agree with the character and values of the person you will marry. It's the only way to have a great marriage!