In 25% of marriages, one or both spouses are cheating.
That’s 1-in-4.
It’s a staggering, heartbreaking statistic, and it highlights an important truth: Every marriage is vulnerable.
Dr. Bob Huizenga, the Infidelity Coach, says there are actually six key times in every marriage that make couples more vulnerable to an affair:
- Early in marriage
- When the oldest child reaches adolescence
- During a midlife crisis
- When the “nest” empties
- Facing the reality of mortality
- Retirement
These are crucial times to shore up your relationship against cheating.
But What Counts As Cheating?
1 in 4 Americans don’t think one-night stands count as cheating. (They’re most likely the same 25% who are cheating!)
What do couples consider cheating?
Most adults consider physical acts of betrayal as adultery. Three in four Americans say regularly having sexual relations with someone other than your partner is adultery, according to a Deseret News poll.
What gets a pass for today’s couples when it comes to cheating?
Only 49% of Americans say sending flirtatious messages is always cheating, but 25% of people say that watching pornography without a partner and following an ex on social media is “sometimes” cheating. How do you and your spouse define cheating?
Want to know what keeps a man from cheating?
Surprising characteristics of faithful fellas come from AARP. If a guy has any of these traits, he’s less likely to cheat: lazy, ugly, cheap, afraid of getting caught, no time, and boring.
So, gals, if you’ve got a “winner of a husband” there, you can find some comfort in knowing that no one else will be sharing his bed anytime soon.
All kidding aside, it’s time to affair-proof your marriage now—not when you start to suspect there’s cheating happening.
Strengthen Your Marriage One Prayer at a Time
Joshua Pease, one of the editors at thrivingmarriages.com, gives these five prayer tips for affair-proofing your marriage.
Pease says that we’re told in the Bible that “in Jesus all the blessings in heaven are poured out on us. God wants you to have a good marriage. He is rooting for you and actively helping you.”
Here are some things to talk with God about for your marriage.
- Pray for God’s blessing on your spouse.
- Pray for God’s blessing on your heart.
- Pray for God’s blessing on your marriage.
- Pray for God’s blessing on your passion.
- Pray for God’s blessing on the weaknesses in your marriage.
These are just meant to be inspiration for your own prayers. The point is this: Bring your marriage to God just as it is. Don’t try to clean it up for Him – you can’t! – just bring it to His feet like a little child with a broken, precious toy and say
“Daddy, can you fix this?”
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