Summary: I know we all can come out with some doozies in a rip-roarin’ marital. However, one of the most important rules of fair fighting is: the threat of divorce is never on the table.<br> <br> Divorce: Unjust if In Jest?<br> So this is a short episode because we are on holidays! But we wanted to leave you with a good tidbit to chew over.<br> We’ve noticed a few different folks mentioning that their spouse threatened them with divorce, if they did or didn’t do certain things. Now, we don’t want to be too severe, but…<br> This one is simply unacceptable.<br> Marriage is a sacred, permanent covenant that should only ever be broken by the passing away of one’s spouse. In the heat of an argument, some have thrown this question into the fray in a manipulative way as a scare tactic. That is never acceptable.<br> But what is surprising is the number of folks we’ve heard recently using this as a passing remark. “Oh, if you ever went out in public dressed like that, I’d divorce you!” Is that OK to say?<br> We say, “No!”<br> Learn the Language of Distress<br> Now we can certainly understand that there are some things we feel very strongly about. But to use the threat of divorce, even in a flippant way, is a small but unnecessary threat to the sanctity of the marriage bond.<br> There are other ways of expressing distress. Instead of creating a threat, give your spouse a window into how strongly impacted you are (or might be) by their choice. Try, “If you ever went out in public dressed like that, I’d feel like I was with my grandmother instead of my wife. Please change!”<br> Stop and Think<br> So this is just us asking you to stop and think before you speak.<br> Understand what is bothering you so severely.<br> Frame that into language your spouse can receive without feeling threatened, and language that opens up your heart to him or her.<br> We hope you enjoyed this!<br> Remember, we’d love to hear from you. Please leave us a <a title="OnlyYouForever Podcast: How to Subscribe, Review & Share" href="/us/onlyyouforever-podcast-how-to-subscribe-review-share/">review on iTunes</a> or send us your comments or a question for a future episode to questions@www.onlyyouforever.com.<br> And thanks for putting up with our mini-episode while we enjoy a family holiday in the Black Hills of South Dakota!<br> I know we all can come out with some doozies in a rip-roarin’ marital. However, one of the most important rules of fair fighting is: the threat of divorce is never on the table.<br> <br> Divorce: Unjust if In Jest?<br> So this is a short episode because we are on holidays! But we wanted to leave you with a good tidbit to chew over.<br> We’ve noticed a few different folks mentioning that their spouse threatened them with divorce, if they did or didn’t do certain things. Now, we don’t want to be too severe, but…<br> This one is simply unacceptable.<br> Marriage is a sacred, permanent covenant that should only ever be broken by the passing away of one’s spouse. In the heat of an argument, some have thrown this question into the fray in a manipulative way as a scare tactic. That is never acceptable.<br> But what is surprising is the number of folks we’ve heard recently using this as a passing remark. “Oh, if you ever went out in public dressed like that, I’d divorce you!” Is that OK to say?<br> We say, “No!”<br> Learn the Language of Distress<br> Now we can certainly understand that there are some things we feel very strongly about. But to use the threat of divorce, even in a flippant way, is a small but unnecessary threat to the sanctity of the marriage bond.<br> There are other ways of expressing distress. Instead of creating a threat, give your spouse a window into how strongly impacted you are (or might be) by their choice....
