If you desire to be a loving, biblical parent you must begin by being a loving, biblical spouse. Too often parents believe they can compensate for the deficiencies in their marriage by concentrating on loving their children. Not a good idea! Living primarily for your children leads to making idols of your children. This is a burden that no child can bear. In the long run, it will only turn your children against you. No one is blessed when this happens. Stability in the marriage relationship is what provides stability for the family, not the other way around. Here are at least three of the reasons why this is true. First, marriage is designed to be permanent. Children are […]
Marriage
40 posts
Husbands, God commands you to love your wife. He says that you are to love your wife as Christ loves the church. These are words that should bring us to our knees in holy fear. Christ’s example of love is humbling and overwhelming. His example should shake us to the very core of our being. This command, properly understood, should drive us to cry out to God for strength, courage, and his mercy. Why? Because if you are to love with the love of Christ, then the actions of your wife must not determine the quality of your love for her. Men, Jesus loved you when your were unlovely. He cares for you when you turn away from […]
It is August and summer is practically over. It is time to get ready for school again. There are multiple lists to check: clothing, textbooks, supplies, transportation, after-school activities and more. You know the drill. However, there is one important matter that you don’t want to overlook – your marriage. The challenges of school are hard on a marriage. Time, relationship,and communication can be consumed by the demands of school. The relationship between mom and dad can easily shift into one where scheduling and time pressure become the main focus. Is your marriage ready for school? Don’t be afraid to ask the question. Fathers, it would be best if you take the leadership role here. Make it a priority these […]
Love Christ first By his sacrificial example encourage his wife to love Christ first Love his wife so that she is confident he understands her deepest thoughts & moods Love his wife by honoring her before their children Love his wife by joyful sacrifice to enable her spiritual growth Love his wife by seeing her sins as opportunities to show the grace of God to her By his sacrificial example encourage his children to love Christ first Love his children by letting them know that he is incomplete without his wife Love his children by learning to listen first and speak only when necessary Love his children by living out God’s word in front of them Love his children […]
Summer is upon us, again. But this summer has the potential to be different. In addition to the normal summer themes of heat, vacations, what to do with the kids, hurricanes and other storms, there is a growing cultural instability that is about to reach critical mass. The supreme court will rule sometime next month regarding same-sex marriage. Regardless of the decision that is reached turmoil will follow. Apart from a massive turning to Christ, we must accept the reality that our culture views marriage as a relic of the past. The human race was founded on the building block of marriage. God gave the creation mandate in Genesis 1:26-28 to male and female with the command to go forward […]
This week FoxNews cites a study that shows that 48% of all first time births in the United States are out of wedlock. Also this week, the Governor of Colorado signed a bill into law that repealed adultery as a crime in Colorado. Whatever moral compass we have had has clearly ceased to function. We no longer know what side is up. These events indicate the growing rejection of God’s authority in social matters. We must strive to make God special, precious, and desirable to our children. We must teach what awe and fear have to do with God. If we are to lead our children though this moral mess, the light of God must shine brightly above […]
There is a side to Valentine’s Day which is good. The good of Valentine’s Day is an opportunity to express love for each other. I Corinthians 13 is a good guide here. It is good to let someone know they are loved and appreciated. A smile, a card, warm appreciation accompanied by flowers, chocolate, or other seasonal gift says you are special in a good way. Married couples can find other good ways to appropriately celebrate the day. So, in this sense – Happy Valentine’s Day! But, there is another aspect of Valentine’s Day that is bad.This is the “give to get side.” Commercials proclaim – give the right gift and be rewarded. The reward of course is sex. Culturally, […]
The purpose of the family is 1) to maintain and nourish the one-flesh relationship between husband and wife, and 2) to prepare children to leave the home of their parents and establish their own home. The family does not exist for itself. Genesis 2:24 teaches that the husband-wife relationship does not exist primarily for children. Children are only temporary residents. A husband and wife are to remain together after the children have left. Parents, note this well: God wants your children to leave home. They are to move on. Parents are the ones who stay put. When children become the primary purpose of family life, the focus of parents shifts to the enjoyment of children. Children become an end […]
Meekness is being willing to give up my rights in order to put others first. Meekness waits for God to bring about justice. Psalm 37:10-11 A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace. From Get Wisdom
Before anyone misunderstands me—let me say that this post is not about pre-marital instructions for children, at least not explicitly. Neither is this post about arranged marriages! No, this post is about friendship and its connection to marriage. In Tim Keller’s excellent book, The Meaning of Marriage, he draws out the importance of friendship in marriage. I believe Keller has made an important observation, both for those interested in becoming married and for parents seeking to train their children to live for God. Christians are not to think or act as the world does. We are to be transformed, not conformed, in our thinking. We are to take thoughts captive, not be taken captive! But that’s a bit tricky, isn’t […]