You’ve probably heard the statistic that 50% of Christian marriages end in divorce. I’ve always questioned that statistic because it does not line up with the almost 20 years of experience I have had working in churches. I have always known biblical churches as communities that guard and protect marriage. I’m often encouraged by the decades of faithfulness that are illustrated in the marriages in our churches. It’s not just one generation of faithfulness. You can see multiple generations who are able to enjoy the fidelity of marriage the way God intended (Genesis 2:24-25).
By the grace of God, I can attest to the benefit of multi-generational marriage faithfulness in our family. My dad’s parents were married for 63 years. My mom’s parents for 56 years. My own parents remained faithful to each other for 33 years before my mom was taken to be with the Lord in 2011. If you add my own marriage to the mix, then the result is 166 years (and growing!) of God’s blessing.
One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Proverbs 18:22, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and receives favor from the Lord.” There is a special blessing for those who keep their marriage holy as God intended. The Bible is also clear that there will be consequences for those who fail to stay true to their vows. Hebrews 13:4 says, “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.”
Many Christians today forget that Jesus said, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” (Mark 10:11-12) That alone can motivate some to seek marriage counseling to strengthen their relationship because if they get divorced, Scripture says they should not remarry.
As my wife and I raise our kids we want to make sure to let them know of the importance of choosing a spouse. Our boys need to make a believing woman be their first priority in marriage. Our girls need to pray for God to provide them with a man of God who will love them the way Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25). If Christ’s return comes late enough in the future, then our prayer is that our children will get married and have decades of marital bliss, the way God intended.
