Years ago when my 2-year-old car needed a new battery, my son said, "Dad, we need to buy a new car. This one is getting old." When the tape deck needed work, he said, "Dad, we'd better buy a new car. This one is eating us out of house and home." I insisted there was no reason to spend thousands of dollars on a new car just because the old one needed minor repairs.

Marriages are a bit like that. Sometimes a little maintenance can get the marriage operating smoothly again. Occasionally a serious breakdown means a complete overhaul is necessary, but most problems are solvable. Even if there has been an affair, the marriage can usually be restored at the price of repentance and forgiveness.