Can Christian marriages save our nation?
Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment  Christian couples need to see marriage as an unbreakable covenant. It needs to be the non-negotiable component to marriage. Somehow, we have forgotten that marriage was meant to be a lifelong commitment. During the Covid pandemic, my young granddaughter determined what she wants to be when she grows upshe wants to be married. So, when she visited me, I let her try on my wedding dress. Her great-grandmother first wore that dress almost seventy years ago. She was shaking with delight. Perhaps one day she will wear it too. With her mom and dad both working from home, she has seen marriage in a whole new way at a most impressionable age. She watched her parents divide chores and help each other under hard circumstancesand they loved each other through months of hardship. Certainly, her child-eyes view of marriage is incomplete, but she felt the joy that comes when you have one another close and desire to be right where you are. It must have given her a sense of comfort and stability. When shes older, she will likely forget that she kept saying, I want to be married. But I hope she never forgets the love that surrounds her, or the dynamic power marriage offers when two people partner for the good of others. We need to inspire our children to desire marriage and begin developing the right attitudes that make marriages work best. This is critical for marriages in Americaespecially Christian marriages. We have the power to change the lives of those we love and impact the relationships with our children and those in our communities. Christian marriages can change the trajectory of our culture towards living faithfully, honorably, and loving well despite tough times. But we cant do this until we change our Christian divorce rates that are equal to our secular counterparts. Half of our marriages fail. Im not a marriage counselor, but I work with children and teens who routinely deal with the fallout from broken homesor homes that were never whole to begin with. If we want better outcomes for our children, we need to realize the power to change the next generation begins in our married homes. Thats the right person. We need to work through the hard places. My husband and I lost our farm, re-built our finances, had two premature babies, and, despite that, were stronger because of it. Ive talked with kids who feel responsible for their parents anger and disappointment in marriage. What would be better is for children to see parents working together through lifes challengesand doing so without the backdoor being open to divorce. Leaving the backdoor open only makes it easier for things to get in that have no place in our homes. As Christian parents we can offer stability, comfort, and the power of faith as we work through our issues. We arent perfect and neither are our marriages, but when a family remains together, the next generation is stronger too. They learn how forgiveness works in the closest relationships we have. With my experience of over 40 years of marriage, I advise these things for Christian couples:  Avoid entertainment choices that celebrate sin. Choose to spend quality time together instead of faulty substitutes (like TV). Plan to share your life together without an exit strategy. Raise your children with honesty about your own failures. Celebrate marriage and encourage your children and their friends to see it as the blessing it truly is. Most importantly, introduce your children to God and help them develop their own walk with Jesus. One other thing Christian couples can do is to mentor other couples and inspire young adults to marry for life. Hopefully, my granddaughter can remain inspired, but its up to us. Its a worthy goal and one that God will bless.