Richard and Arlene Baughman were married in 1940, just before America entered World War II. Richard was drafted in 1942, and left for the war just a few weeks after the birth of their first son. For more than a year, he was unable to communicate much with his family, and when he returned to his Wisconsin home he bore the scars of posttraumatic stress from combat experiences. He had a lot of bad dreams. But he and Arlene picked up where they left off, and in the years since they have faced everything together. Richard worked as a mail carrier and farmer. Arlene was a schoolteacher. They lived a busy life and raised six children, one of whom passed away. Over the years the Baughmans have encountered all the stresses and strains that come with life, just like you and me.

But here’s what sets them apart. Recently this couple celebrated their seventy-fifth anniversary. Richard is now ninety-seven and Arlene is ninety-six years old. Somehow their story got out, and they’ve been in the news—especially because of an almost unbelievable part of their testimony. In seventy-five years of marriage, they said, they had never had a single argument. Not one. “If we had differences we just talked about it,” they said. “We didn’t have dishes to throw or shoes to throw because we couldn’t afford it. So, we had to get along.”1

They explained that whenever they felt angry they would give themselves time to cool off before talking it through, and they’ve always taken time for regular dates and for occasional trips and vacations. They’ve worked hard, lived simply, not coveted too much, and have tried not to complain to each other. “The couple’s advice for a happy marriage,” said a reporter who interviewed them, “is to not fret over the small things and to keep faith in the Lord alive.”2

To me, that’s the living embodiment of Philippians 4:5: “Let your gentleness be evident to all.” This is the next line of argument the apostle Paul constructed in Philippians 4:4–9 as he relayed his personal strategy for overcoming worry. First, we must make up our minds to rejoice in the Lord in any and every set of circumstances. Second, we must cultivate a gentle spirit. If you want to lower the stresses of life, exhibit a gentler personality and cultivate the art of patience.

Robert J. Morgan, Worry Less, Live More: God’s Prescription for a Better Life (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2017).

We have just released a new Bible study on based on Robert Morgan's book, Worry Less, Live More

These lessons are available on Amazon, as well as a part of my Good Questions Have Groups Talking Subscription Service. Like Netflix for Bible Lessons, one low subscription gives you access to all our lessons--thousands of them. For a medium-sized church, lessons are as little as $10 per teacher per year.

Sessions include:

The Practice of Rejoicing

The Practice of Gentleness

The Practice of Nearness

The Practice of Prayer

The Practice of Thanksgiving

The Practice of Thinking

The Practice of Discipleship

The Practice of Peace