Encouraging Marriages in Your Sphere of Influence

A good marriage is like good music.

To understand what I mean, think about your favorite song. No doubt one reason it moves you the way it does is the voice of the lead singer. But more than you realize, the backing vocals are what bring a song’s melody alive. Background singers harmonize with the lead vocals, giving the song’s melody a richness the lead singer could never achieve alone.

In a similar way, couples who make beautiful music together are those who surround themselves with background singers – like family members, close friends, or a marriage counselor – someone who encourages them forward when the marriage journey gets difficult.

With the divorce rate hovering near 50%, a majority of marriages are clearly under immense pressure. Many couples feel isolated. They may socialize, but they have no one with whom they can open up about the true state of their marriage. Isolation turns every struggle into an obstacle to overcome alone. Many couples don’t survive. And those who do often never find a fulfilling rhythm together.

Ted Cunningham – the pastor for Woodland Hills Family Church in Branson, Missouri – has a vision for his church where every follower of Jesus serves as a backing singer to someone’s marriage – a chorus of voices uniting to strengthen the marriages of everyone around them.

Bringing a vision of that magnitude to fruition is a significant undertaking. It not only requires commitment from church leadership but buy-in from its people. No church body should say to couples who are struggling, “Go talk to somebody else.” They should be equipped to say, “How can I help you?”

Ted spoke about his vision for his church at one of our staff chapels. His message was so encouraging and insightful that I want to share it with you today on Focus on the Family with Jim Daly.

Speaking from the Song of Solomon, Ted shares funny and engaging insights about how we can all become stronger advocates for the marriages of our family members, our friends, and those in our community.

The world is watching Christian marriages. Do we treat our spouses differently? Do we uphold the commitments we made in our wedding vows? Are we a good witness of God’s forgiveness and grace in our families?

Join us for our program on your local radio station, online, on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or on our free phone app.

Ted’s book Great Joy Twogether: A 52-Week Marriage Devotional is available for a gift of any amount. For more information, click here, or call 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459).