In a world where relationship advice is often dispensed by experts who seem to have all the answers and none of the problems, Don Griffin makes no secret of his foibles and failures – or his faith in God.
As a semi-retired owner of an insurance agency, one might expect Don to be taking it easy. Instead, he has just published his first book, and he and his wife Penny are busy teaching people how to have a great life and a great marriage based on Biblical principles of success.
“When God impressed on me the need to write this book, He also impressed upon my heart the need to reveal His unconditional love for every living soul,” Don says. “There are many reasons that God so richly desires for you to live a great life and enjoy a great marriage that is free from stress, sickness, and debt. But the first and foremost reason is because you are His child, and He loves you very much.”
Don was born in a small town in southern Georgia to parents who taught him the value of the Bible, prayer, and church attendance. As a young man, he served in the Air Force, became a successful farmer, and attended a small church with his wife and three sons. Everything seemed to be going great; but at the age of thirty-three, Don lost his marriage, his family, and his business. “Tough times can either build you up, or tear you down,” he says.
Sufficiently heartbroken and humbled, Don rededicated his life to Christ and began the painstaking work of rebuilding his life on Kingdom principles. He eventually married Penny and started over. Then, with a lot of prayer, help and hard work, they built a successful insurance agency together. This year, Don and Penny Griffin will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary – proving that nothing is impossible with God.
“I didn’t have enough sense to get in out of the rain, but God took a super mess that I was in and turned it around,” Don says. “He can do the same for you, too. Everything won’t be perfect, and you’ll always have challenges. But as you begin to discover who you are in Christ, things will get better a lot quicker – marriage, finances, health, everything. God wants to complete you in every area, and not leave you short in any area.”
According to Don, many marriages fail because of unrealistic expectations. “We often go into a relationship with the expectation that the other person is going to complete us,” he explains. “That’s not Scriptural. That’s self-centered, and it’s setting you up for a huge disappointment. We have to understand that God is the one who completes us; then we can be free to love each other.”
And for those who have already made a mess of their marriage, Don’s message is: “It is never too late. But the first step to a great life and a great marriage is to put your faith in God. We can’t change ourselves from the outside in,” he says. “God works from the inside out, and He changes us. Then you begin to love that other person more than you love yourself, and you can overlook more things. It changes your whole mentality towards them. You just love them unconditionally.”
“Great Life, Great Marriage” by Don Griffin is published by Laurus Books and is available in paperback and digital formats at DonAndPenny.com.