Program: Real FamilyLife (90 seconds)

 

 

Dennis Rainey: In marriage, what does it mean to do your fair share?

Guest: I used to mow the grass, he washes dishes. So, he does some things that I don't like to do, and I probably do some things that he doesn't like to do. But we are a great team.

Dennis Rainey: It's good that they've learned to be a great team. But strong marriages are built on more than just a fair division of labor. [ Read Full Transcript ]

People often approach marriage as a partnership in which each person is supposed to meet the other halfway. I like to call this the 50/50 plan for marriage. It says, “You do your part, I’ll do mine.”

According to this plan, you should accept your mate only when they perform up to your standards. The problem is, your expectations are often based on emotion, and not objective fact. It’s really impossible to know if a person has ever met you halfway. As Thomas Fuller said, “each horse thinks his pack is heaviest.”

One final thought. The plan that works is when each person gives one hundred percent, all of the time. That's the super glue that holds marriages together.

I’m Dennis Rainey, and that’s Real FamilyLife.