A Social Dilemma?

In the April, 2008 issue of Newsweek magazine a featured article on divorce quotes the experiences of couples from the 70's who went through divorce. One observation came from the author of the article, "My 44 year old classmates and I have watched divorce morph from something shocking, even shameful, into a routine fact of American life."

We agree that life doesn't always work out the way we want but have we lowered our expectations to meet our demands? This is not to make light of the painful reality of sin and brokenness in this most intimate of God-ordained relationships but why has it become so common?

I would suggest that part of the problem has been a less than biblical view of marriage even among professing Christians. If marriage is primarily a social institution established for our happiness and fulfillment then it will be doomed to disillusionment or divorce. What if marriage were more about holiness than happiness as one Christian author asks his readers.

To accept the current status of marriage as "just the way life is" is to have a less than biblical view of what Christ calls us to as His followers.

Let's think about how this God-ordained context of marriage could be a powerful tool to help the unbelieving world see the good news of Jesus' love worked out.

Just a Thought

In a culture of brokenness and disillusionment we as Christians need a continual reminder of the promises of Christ not simply to get over things but to grow through them. This is never more evident nor more critical than in working out the gospel in our marriages. They have been under attack and are one of the most strategic arenas for the evil one to make a mockery of the claims of Christ.

Our culture in general and the Christian church in particular are always looking for that key to finally address and help us have good relationships. Yet all too often they are fading efforts that further discourage and make us feel even more hopeless at times.

I have no new answers but only a renewed desire for those of us who claim Christ and are married to look again not to methodology for marriage relationships but first to the call of Christ on our lives. Our marriages are to be a metaphor of Christ's love and therefore a call to the holiness of Christ more than our own happiness.

For example, what is the application of the gospel to our marriages from II Peter 1:3 when he declares, "His divine power has granted us all things that pertain to life and godliness..."? How would that effect how we deal with each other if we truly believed this promise?