According to national statistics, many homes are proving to be only sandcastles. Tragically, Over one third of all marriages over the past two decades have ended in divorce. Today, one third of America's children are living in single parent homes. Another unsettling statistic is that the homes of those who claim to be Christians are not faring any better.
George Barna, who directed the study, noted that Americans have grown comfortable with divorce as a natural part of life. "There no longer seems to be much a stigma attached to divorce; it is now seen as an unavoidable rite of passage," the researcher indicted. "Interviews with young adults suggest that they want their initial marriage to last, but are not particularly optimistic about that possibility."
Financial pressures, intimacy issues, frantic schedules, cultural changes, and lack of commitment are among the waves that relentlessly pound today's families. Even families who claim to be Christians and who are active in their churches, are not immune to the erosion of their homes. That's why Jesus shared with his followers the story of two men who each built a house. In Eugene Peterson's paraphrase of Matthew 7:24-27, (The Message), we find the word picture that Jesus painted which really hits home.
"These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowners improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, tornado hit - but moved that house. It was fixed to the rock.
"But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don't work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up. It collapsed like a house of cards."
What is the foundation of your home?
Love...good answer but if it emotional feeling kind of love, that can rise and fall like a roller coaster.
Financial security...that's good, too. Yet, finances is listed as one of the top issues that couples fight about.
Family activities...the constant movement of being involved in school, church, social and recreational activities is that the centrifugal force holding your family together. What happens when you stop spinning?
Those who have built their lives on the foundation of faith in Jesus Christ, have discovered that His words are true and when applied to our daily living our successful. With God's Word as your blueprint, we have "his divine power that has given us everything we need for life and godliness." (2 Peter 1:3) Those who take seriously their Christian faith and apply Biblical principles to their marriage and family life do survive the storms of life.
Couples who regularly practice any combination of serious religious behaviors and attitudes - attend church nearly every week; read their Bibles and spiritual materials regularly; pray privately and together; generally take their faith seriously, living not as perfect disciples but serious disciples- enjoy significantly lower divorce rates than mere church members, the general public and unbelievers.
Jesus said that knowing and applying the truth of God's word to our everyday living will enable us to withstand the assaults on our homes. Building our lives and our homes on God's truth will provide the stability we need.
"The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge." (Psalm 18:2)
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