Luke 6:32-33.

I'm going to speak about learning to love. What I have to say may pertain to many of you who are married, but if you're not married, hang in there, because the principles we're talking about apply not only to marriage but all relationships.

People experience misery in marriage for 4 reasons.

Let me begin by asking this question. Why do marriages begin so well and often end so badly? I've been a pastor for a number of years, and no one has yet come to me to say, "Pastor, our great desire in life is to have a miserable marriage. Would you please tell us how we can live in real misery?" No one has ever said that. Amazingly there are some couples whom I have married who are living today in a good deal of misery. Why? Let me give you a few reasons.

Genesis 2:18-31 ; Mark 10:2-12.

Not long ago the newspapers carried a story from India. Two brides and two grooms discovered that a rather serious mistake had been made on their wedding day. The brides had been wearing long veils. They were hardly able to see anything around them. To make matters worse, the simple wedding ceremonies had been rushed. Both ceremonies were over before it was discovered that each bride had been paired with the wrong groom! A ruling by the village elders confirmed that the marriages were binding as performed and that nothing could be done to change the situation. Imagine that-married to the wrong person and nothing you could do about it!

Genesis 2:18-24.

Gloria Steinem, the well-known feminist activist and publisher of Ms. Magazine, made a statement a few years ago that has been quoted more than a few times by those sharing her anti-man sentiments. She said: "A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle." She has also referred to marriage as "legalized oppression." Her attitude throughout her career has been, basically, "men-who needs them?"

Well, apparently Ms. Steinem has decided that men aren't so bad after all; in fact, she found one she plans to keep for awhile. In September 2000 the founder of Ms. Magazine officially became a Mrs. - Gloria Steinem got married.