from 2017:
Can someone explain this to me, please?
I have had more than a few women tell me, when asked about their family status…..Children? “Yes” Marital status? “Single” Divorced? “No. I don’t believe in divorce.”
Okay. In our culture today one can “believe” in having children outside of marriage and having as many intimate paramours as one cares to have, but not marriage because one “doesn’t believe in divorce.” It seems to me the emphasis is on the wrong thing in this scenario. Why not focus on making commitments and making marriages work instead of avoiding marriage because of the risk it may end in divorce, in which one does not believe?
Marriage does not always equal divorce. It is sad when marriage has come to be so inextricably associated with divorce when a relationship fails to meet expectations that people will not commit to the former because of their belief in the inevitability of the latter. While there are no guarantees in life (except the proverbial fact of death and taxes and, of course, the guarantee of our salvation by faith in Jesus Christ!), it seems to me that there should be room for the resiliency of love and the redemptive work of God in our marriages.
Hebrews 13:4- “Marriage should be honored by everyone….”
I was reading about a Catholic Bishop’s statement on marriage, affirming Christian practices for 2 millennia. Dr. Morse, from the Ruth Institute sent him flowers for his statement. The Ruth Institute advocates for and provides education and refuge for those who are “refugees from the hook-up culture.” The devaluation of marriage often is accompanied by the devaluation of women and failure in caring for and providing for one’s children. Many of the women to whom we minister at Titus 2 fit that description, as well….they were sold a bill of goods about relationships by the sexual revolution that hasn’t panned out exactly as promised. The poverty level of female headed households where women are trying to raise children and work, or living on the subsistence benefits of welfare, or serially moving from one relationship to another in search of financial stability and help with childrearing is sky high.
From 7/23/22:
A friend and supporter of Titus 2 shared this. Thank you! So true!
THE ENEMY OF MARRIAGE
Marriage is the most meaningful and tender of all human relationships. Spouses open themselves up to each other as they do to no other person, even to their parents. As that relationship matures and trust deepens, their spiritual awareness also deepens. Thus, the enemy of God and man, Satan, designs to destroy these deepening relationships. If we believe the Bible, we have to believe there is a devil working to undo everything God has done.
Satan is the enemy of our marriage. He hates marriage and all that it represents because the tenderness of that relationship opens us up to God. In addition, the sacredness of marriage is related to Christ’s relationship with those who follow Him. Marriage is symbolic of the church. After admonishing the husband and wife to love each other, Paul says their relationship mirrors that of Christ and the church: This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:32).
Satan knows that in partnership there is strength. Therefore, he seeks to divide and destroy. He desires to isolate us from our mate through misunderstanding and stubbornness until we become easy prey for him. But we can fight the devil and stay strong by staying together spiritually.
From 7/23/2016
It’s easy to look around at so many couples that have divorced and feel like one is a throwback to another time, totally out of touch with the reality of today. But as I read the happy wishes for our anniversary, I realized just how many other couples have managed to hang in through thick and thin and also are in long and happy relationships. I wish we could convey to young couples today that difficult times are going to come and that, when they do, love is based on commitment, not emotions…..that love is not defined by the affirmation and adoration spouses lavish on one another, but rather by how much each values the worth and happiness of the other and how much each is willing to sacrifice for the sake of the other. How much love one feels is directly proportional to how well each makes the other feel loved.