The other day I overheard a conversation. I don't really know how it started but they ended up talking about marriage and kids. Then one mentioned that she wanted to have kids but not get married. She said that her mother always told her to be in a healthy relationship(s), have children, but not get married. Then they discussed how great it was that our society was beginning to favor women living together instead of marriage, as well as raising kids on your own.
I thought this was awfully sad. I get it, I do. Marriage is hard, raising kids is hard, divorce is a mess, isn't it easier just to remain unmarried and walk away when you want to? One girl even mentioned that changing her name after her divorce was just so much work. To which I thought, as you split up a marriage, that's what you care about?
But our society has sadly started to replace what God says is good with imperfection. Marriage is hard? Don't get married. Tired of your spouse? Leave. Yes, life happens. We shouldn't forget to extend grace to others and ourselves. In fact, we must extend grace to others and ourselves. We need Jesus because we won't ever get it on our own.
The point of this rambling is that God decides what is good. God's morals and standards do not change. It's not about whether we have messed up (because, we have, a lot!). We need to be careful that when the world tells us something is right that we weigh it against what God says.
The world says don't commit. God says commit and raise godly children, together. The world says follow your heart. God says follow Him. The world says you can figure it out. God says that He's got this. It can cause a lot of confusion and heartache. Whom do we follow? Won't we stick out if we do what God says? Yes! Is it worth it? Absolutely! His ways are a better way to live.
The world says don't commit. God says commit and raise godly children, together. The world says follow your heart. God says follow Him. The world says you can figure it out. God says that He's got this. It can cause a lot of confusion and heartache. Whom do we follow? Won't we stick out if we do what God says? Yes! Is it worth it? Absolutely! His ways are a better way to live.
our entire society is being upended I believe Danielle. The whole idea of marriage and its relevance has been questioned. The idea that people of the same sex can be married is becoming completely acceptable. Even the notion of "gender" is being challenged. The roles and responsibilities which God established in the beginning are valid and true. Perhaps this is the greatest challenge we face as believers. Maybe its no longer evolution for instance, but the very fact that God made them male and female and established a covenant between them that would see a life long relationship while raising children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. The more you see of this across the western world the more we realize that the only hope for mankind is the return of Christ and the establishment of a godly kingdom on earth.
ReplyDeleteI agree Danielle, try for your thoughts, how confused people are becoming, but things haven't changed since the beginning of time really, in Abrahams day, it wasn't much different, there is nothing new under the sun as it states in Ecclesiastes! When God created the world, he made it very good, man has perverted Gods laws and made a mockery of His creation, because man is selfish, the heart of man is desperately wicked, who can know it? God must be very disappointed and angry when he sees it all, but it has been going on for 6,000 years.. Shows how long suffering He really is...
ReplyDeleteWe are so blessed to have the hope of a better future with Christ as our King, when all the earth will be full of His glory once again!
So true! This is really sad, and divorce is so hard on the kids that it really is so sad! Our culture does not place a very high esteem on marriage.
ReplyDeleteYeah! But sadly, our human solution isn't to get divorced less but just to not get married. Thanks for reading!
DeleteThis is so, so sad. Marriage is hard, but it can be so, so good.
ReplyDeleteI agree!
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