Fighting for Love: Don’t Give Up on Your Marriage

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Don’t Quit Too Soon: The Marriage You Have Is Worth Fighting For

Recent research reveals a surprising truth: nearly two-thirds of today’s divorces happen in marriages with low conflict. No cheating. No abuse. No scandal. Just two people who get tired of trying. Two people who let disagreements and disharmony build until giving up feel easier than pressing through.

But before you, or someone you know, walks away, pause. What if the best marriage for you is the one you’re already in?

When Good Marriages Break Quietly

It’s easy to assume that only toxic, high-drama relationships end in divorce. But that’s far from reality. In many homes, couples simply drift. A thousand small misunderstandings. Unmet expectations. Lost connection. Gradually, resentment settles in. Conversations turn silent. Joy fades.

Then one day, someone says, “I can’t do this anymore.” Not out of rage. Not out of betrayal. Just exhaustion.

But here’s the catch: leaving doesn’t guarantee peace. It just trades one set of struggles for another. And often, it adds new baggage into the mix—especially when children, extended families, and remarriage come into play.

A Letter That Changed a Life

Not long ago, I received a message from a radio listener. He was recently divorced and engaged to someone new. But something from a broadcast interview stirred his heart. He wasn’t sure what to do next.

So, I called him.

“Is there any possibility of reconciling with your wife before you move on?” I asked. “You’re still going to be married to an imperfect person, even in your next relationship. But this time, you’ll bring along all the wounds and weariness from your first marriage.”

We talked. We prayed. I encouraged him to think again—not about what felt easier, but about what was truly worth fighting for.

A Reason to Hope

A relationship expert once told me: *If even 20% of your marriage feels satisfying, you have more than a 90% chance of improving it within two years—*if you stay, if you work on it, and if you refuse to give up too early.

That 20% might be shared memories. A deep friendship. Common goals. The kids. A mutual dream. Maybe even just that glimmer that you once had something worth saving.

You don’t need to fix everything overnight. You just need to start with what you still have.

Choosing Love Again and Again

Marriage isn’t a one-time vow—it’s a daily decision. Sometimes that decision feels easy. Other times, it feels like raw sacrifice. But love isn’t just what you feel. It’s what you choose.

You choose to listen.
You choose to apologize.
You choose to pray.
You choose to show up again.
Even when it’s hard.
Especially when it’s hard.

That’s what separates lasting marriages from broken ones: not luck, not perfection, but perseverance.

For Those Standing on the Edge

If you or someone you love is standing on the edge of giving up, don’t stay silent.

Speak life.
Speak truth.
Remind them: “This isn’t the end. You still have time to rewrite this story.”

Offer to pray with them. Share resources. Encourage counseling. Help them see that working through it is not weakness—it’s wisdom.

And when you feel like all else fails, lift their name before God. Because sometimes, the battle for a marriage isn’t won through words—it’s won through intercession.

There’s Still Time

Your marriage is worth it. Not because it’s perfect. But because you said “yes”—and you can say it again, stronger this time.

So before you trade your spouse for another imperfect person…
Before you carry your past into a future that looks shinier from a distance…
Before you sign the papers and silence the vows you once made with hope…

Take one more lap.
Fight for the love that first brought you together.
And believe that God can rebuild what feels broken.

Because He can.
Because He does.
And because love—real love—doesn’t quit.

 

Read more relationship stories

For more thoughts on marriage and the HELPMEET, grab a copy of the e-book with the same title by Lola Babalola. NOW selling here!!

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