"For this reason a man will leave his mother and father and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they aren't two anymore, but one flesh. Therefore, let no man separate what God has joined together."
Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:6
Marriage is directly from God; He created us to be united; man and woman-and only in that way (please don't get offended by my lack of political correctness or "tolerance", I still try to love everyone). Let's not destroy, desecrate, profane, trivialize, banalize or otherwise reduce marriage from what it was intended to be.
Marriage is the most beautiful thing that can happen to a man and woman (besides individual salvation). It's where they come together before God and before others, vowing their love for one another: their desire to spend the rest of their lives with each other; to share their most intimate secrets, troubles, and joys with each other; to give of themselves completely to the other; to serve as Christ served His disciples, to love as Christ loves us, and to share a relationship with Christ with each other.
I can't imagine anything more amazing. Hardships come and go, elation comes and goes, but the love of God (which fulfills us and which binds us in this holy union) lasts forever. If we truly have God's love for our spouse and seek Him always, our marriages can't help but overflow with fruit.
Sharing and intimate relationship with one and only one other person and sharing an intimate relationship with God with that one other person. What else can be more satisfying (I realize the bit of ignorance there, in that it appears I'm placing marriage over a personal relationship with Jesus; that's not so-take it more to mean "what's better *besides a personal relationship with Him?") ?
Sadly, this is the case less and less (50% of marriages end in divorce, and that number is climbing).
Prepare the eulogy
And toll the bells.
Weep, all you marred by divorce
And may rivers of tears
Flow from those wed who have foresight:
Mourn the death of marriage.
Note: I don't want this to sound angry at those who've been divorced; I know that's it's a difficult process to choose, and that it hurts everyone involved deeply. But I see that, and I wonder if it's because we've broken something that we shouldn't have (i.e. there was a breakdown somewhere in the relationship by someone). I only yearn for a return of godly relationships not disillusioned by the trash that's fed to us by our society, but are instead guided by God's principles that lead us to successful relationships, not just in marriage, but in all areas of our lives.