Take the Opportunity

“If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad”( 1 Corinthians 12:26).

In a society awash with confusing messages about marriage and sex, the church has the unique opportunity to be a clear, reliable, and loving source of moral guidance. We can begin by talking publicly about relevant issues people are facing, even though these subjects may be uncomfortable for us. We need to know what the Bible says about divorce and remarriage so that we can be more confident addressing these topics.

In some cases, we need to proclaim countercultural biblical truth. God’s ideal for marriage is one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24). Sexual acts of all types outside marriage are sin (Leviticus 18-20, Hebrews 13:4). They are destructive physically, emotionally, and spiritually (1 Corinthians 6:15-20).

We need to proclaim that children are a gift from God, but childlessness is not a curse. The many stories of barren women in the Bible remind us that God bestows children at his discretion and in his timing (Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Elizabeth).

People need to know that men and women are made equally in God’s image. Husbands are to love their wives as they love themselves, and wives are to respect their husbands out of reverence for Christ (Ephesians 5:21-33). Men and women were designed for companionship and to fulfill God’s mission by working together (Genesis 1:26-28, 2:15-25).

We must recognize that there is tremendous stress on families trying to live out Christian values, and we are facing a divorce crisis in our time. This offers us a marvelous opportunity as a church to bring light, truth, and hope to a hurting world. Perhaps we have been called to ministry for such a time as this!

Reflection

Do you have friends or family who are currently in the midst of or have been through a divorce? How have their family and fellow believers treated them? Prayerfully examine your own attitudes toward them. Have you come alongside and shared their suffering? Ask God to show you one thing you can do this week to let them know you care about their pain.