Imagine meeting with an engaged couple just a few weeks before they tie the knot. They enthusiastically describe how they met, how their first date was, and how their relationship developed. The wife-to-be cheerfully describes how her soon-to-be husband set up a perfect romantic evening with flowers and a nice dinner so he could pop the big question.

Then they take you by surprise by saying, “We want to get married, then have some children. At first, we’ll have a lot of love to share with each other. Then we’ll start fighting and hating each other. After a few years, we’ll get a divorce.”

Who would get married with the intention of getting a divorce? Of course, this is a rhetorical question. And yet, there are an alarming number of divorces occurring nowadays. Lots of people are really affected by divorce, whether they are the ones who’ve divorced or they have felt the pain of a parent divorcing.

While divorce is common, I’m pretty sure that most of it could be avoided, and I’m going to show you why I think this way.

First of all, here’s something you may want to keep in mind: Every difficult behavior begins with believing a lie. Our world, with its culture, promotes many deceptions that can quickly end up destroying a marriage.

Without further ado, here are seven of them!