This Sunday we will start a new teaching series focused at strengthening families. No one doubts the hardships faced by the average family, even Christian families. There are many factors that can work against you to take your family to the brink of despair: financial debt, severe illness, loss of a job, addiction, unfaithfulness, mental health issues, etc. There are also many factors that can strengthen and add joy to your marriage and family: a growing relationship with our Father and our Lord, Jesus; a committed relationship to a local church family; the practice of the spiritual disciplines of prayer, Bible Study and worship.

Here are some heart breaking snapshots of American families. We have more babies born into single parent homes than ever before. If raising children is difficult…imagine doing it alone. One report suggested that 40% of all homes are single parent homes. In some parts of our society as many as 70% of all babies are born to single parent homes. Single parents need our prayers and in many cases our praise for doing a great job under very difficult circumstances.

We often hear that 50% of all marriages end in divorce and the rate of divorce in the church is the same as that outside the church. Often, a reporter reads statistical information and draws very incorrect conclusions. The research I have found suggests that around one third of all first time marriages end in divorce. Sometimes the inflated number of 50% is due to second, third, fourth or fifth marriages. That tends to skew the numbers a bit. It has long been a favorite statistic to say Christians divorce at the same rate as non-Christians. That deserves a closer look. Researchers tend to lump anyone who attends church ever and identifies as a Christian as…well, a Christian. Not many of us would agree with that assessment. Example: five objects in a mechanics shop might be mechanics…not cars. Being in a garage does not make one a car or a mechanic any more than occasionally attending church makes one a Christian. The better research says that those who nominally attend church (possible because they are not Christian or certainly not very committed) actually divorce at a much higher rate than even non-believers. Yikes. Just attending church occasionally or just checking you are Christian actually puts you in a statistically dangerous place in regards to marriage.

The good news that we have always known: faithful followers of Christ who take seriously their commitment to God divorce as a far lower rate than non-believers and nominal believers. That does not mean we don’t have problems. It means we have values and resources greater than our problems. It does not mean devotion to Christ insures you will never divorce…but it is a close as one can get for a guarantee. I suspect that less than 10% of what we would identify as faithful followers of Christ end their first marriage in divorce. The closer a couple grows to Jesus, the closer they grow to each other.

We are aware that we live in a fallen and broken world. The beautiful dreams of happily ever after often are shattered by the brutal hits we take in life. There is but one Shelter, one Fortress, and one Hope: The Good and Beautiful God shown to us by our Good and Beautiful Lord Jesus.

Pastor Tom