My Answer: The home is the foundation of any society

Q: My dear mother is lamenting her life away as she battles with two of her three children about the importance of choosing the right mate for life. She pleads with them the importance of establishing homes that will be centered on the Lord. My brother and sister think her views are too old-fashioned. How can something this important become "out-of-date"? - M.O.

A: The home is the foundation of any society. But something is wrong with many of our homes. We've never had more books available advising us how to solve our family and marital problems than we have today. Yet somehow, we're more miserable, we're more broken, we're more torn, we're more hurt, than we've ever been. Why? Because we have not taken the Word of God into account. God has laid down the rules and regulations for a successful and happy home, and we've broken them.

If we disregard God's regulations for the home, then our homes are in danger of ending in disaster. The husband-wife relationship is the key to family success. A successful family needs to be founded on a divinely ordered marriage.

Marriage isn't a short-term option, but a contract for life ordered by God. The Bible says, "Live joyfully with the wife of your youth" (see Proverbs 5:18). Be faithful in marriage.

The key to a solid family is putting God first in our homes and families. And to put God first in our homes, He needs to be first in our lives (Deuteronomy 6).

When two lives are bonded together in marriage, there are components to be mindful of: mutual respect, genuine commitment, good communication, time and effort on the part of both husband and wife, and spiritual unity, making Christ the very center of the marriage. This will be a lifetime investment that reaps loving benefits.

(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)

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