Does marriage make you happier?!
And the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. (Mark 10:8)
Yet again, the Bible remains relevant in our complex, tech-savvy world. An Olga Khazan article in The Atlantic entitled “Take a Wife…Please” surprised me. The report presents a painful reality. According to a University of Chicago professor, Sam Peltzman, the General Social Survey confirms that people in the United States are less happy today than they were fifty years ago. “If you imagine this large sample as 100 people, historically about 50 of those people say they’re ‘pretty happy,’ and that’s still true. But in the 1970s, about 35 people would say they’re ‘very happy,’ and 15 would say ‘not too happy.’ That began to shift around 2000, and now about 32 people say they’re ‘very happy’ and 18 say they’re ‘not too happy.’”
What shocked me wasn’t that people today are less happy, but the reason the University of Chicago professor found for the despondency. “In 1980, 6 percent of 40-year-olds had never been married, but today, it’s 25 percent. ‘The recent decline in the married share of adults can explain (statistically) most of the recent decline in overall happiness.” I never would have guessed a university as respected as the University of Chicago would come to such a pronouncement. Marriage makes for a happier person! The Atlantic makes clear that the joy of a married life is consistent across social science research.
That doesn’t mean that all marriages are perfect, and every minute is bliss. Just ask my wife! Instead, we find happiness in another person's care, support, and love at an intimate level. Friendships are unique and meaningful, but the intimacy of marriage takes happiness to another level. The Biblical writers knew the power of joy through marriage. In the Bible, marriage is more than a commitment or obligation; it is a blessed gift from God.
Whether you are married or not, you can be happy. It does appear, however, that marriage makes happiness easier. Money wasn’t the deciding factor, nor was education. Deeply committed relationships take happiness to a more profound level. Today, if you are married, pray for your spouse and your commitment to your marriage. If you are single, ask God to give you the spiritual direction to nurture close ties with family and friends, which can cultivate an intimacy that will further inner happiness and joy. The marriage research study is yet another reminder that the Bible remains relevant in our world.