Resources/Articles
Avoid the Greener Grass
Nevertheless let every one of you
in particular so love his wife
even as himself;
and the wife see that she
reverence her husband.
Ephesians 5:33
Nancy Anderson wrote a book entitled, “Avoiding the Greener Grass Syndrome” after she had been involved in an extramarital affair. She said she grew lukewarm in her faith and thus believed the world’s lie: “I deserve to be happy.” In order to help keep her painful story of infidelity from “becoming someone else’s story,” she offered in her book six suggestions on how to build “hedges” to protect your marriage and to help make a “good marriage great.” She used each letter of the word “hedges.”
Hear - give a listening ear to your spouse.
Encourage - build up your spouse by focusing on positive qualities.
Date - celebrate your marriage by playing and laughing together.
Guard - establish safeguards by setting clear boundaries.
Educate - study your mate to truly understand him or her.
Satisfy - meet each other’s needs.
The grass on the other side of the fence may only look greener, but faithfulness to God and commitment to your spouse alone bring joy, peace, and fulfillment in your marriage.
If you want to avoid the “greener-grass syndrome,” a husband should love his wife, and a wife should respect her husband. Allow your marriage to be a reflective image of Christ and His church to those around you (Ephesians 5:31-32). The only third party allowed in marriage is God, not another human being. If He is allowed in, He will not destroy your marriage. He will help make it work.
