Are You Strong Enough?

It's come to my attention that a growing number of people see parenthood as a cure-all to more serious problems in a relationship.
More than half the marriages in this country end in divorce.  Sadly, our society does little to bolster the belief of why people should get married, thus resulting in more births out of wedlock.
Granted, children born out of wedlock no longer carries the social stigma it once did years ago, but the reasons for it still remain 'the elephant in the room' that no one seems to want to discuss.
We have one-parent families, unmarried heterosexual partners living in the same household with children, non-cohabitating unmarried parents who split custody, and families headed by same-sex couples.  The 'business model' of families has changed drastically over the course of just a generation.
Notwithstanding, history has proven over and over again that the strongest possible family unit comes from two married parents committed to one another and living under the same roof.
Committed to one another...think about that one for a moment.
This brings me back to the day I got married...and the three sessions we had with my wife's pastor (we're of a mixed-faith marriage) prior to our wedding day.  His words still ring clear...and true:
"The number one reason that couples don't stay together is selfishness".
And I hear arguments from both sides as to why not to get married.  "I'm not anyone's personal property", "I don't need a piece of paper to tell me I love my partner", "I don't want to change my last name", "I'll never afford the wedding I want, so why bother?"
What do all those statements have in common? 
You guessed it.
Selfishness.
The word "I" is prevalent in each of these scenarios. 
Marriage is a bond that requires strength, courage, and commitment to truly work.  It brings couples together legally, along with money and property.  It's not designed to be an 'at-will' employment contract, where the relationship is terminated upon the request of either party.
It's a pact that represents selflessness.  Parenthood itself is an act that requires selflessness.  If you're not selfless enough to marry your partner, how are you selfless enough to have a child?
Unresolved issues in relationships that lead to divorce will never be solved by having a child.  Unless the exact root cause of your relationship's distress is the lack of a child. 
If you're not confident enough in your partner to walk them down the aisle, you're not confident enough in them period.  Time to move on.
Glands calling to glands was not ever, is not now, and never will be love.  Only biology.
Yes, it's hard.  But this life was never meant to be easy, and nothing worthwhile ever is. 

NEXT WEEK:  Not About You