How does a couple build a strong marriage?
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham
Q: How does a couple build a strong marriage? With an attack on God's design it almost seems impossible. -- S.M.
A: The home is the foundation of any society, but it most certainly has been attacked for a long time. There have never been more books available advising how to solve our family and marital problems than now. Yet somehow more people are miserable, broken and hurt.
We don't have to search for the answer to why this is. The Word of God has not been taken into account. Couples have not sought the Lord's help; His counsel and wisdom. Society has disregarded His regulations and it has brought marriages and homes to disaster.
The husband-wife relationship under the guidance of the Holy Spirit is key to family success. God intends that couples are held together through Christ. Marriage was never designed to be short-term; it is a contract for life ordered by God Himself.
Believers in Christ have the strongest resource for strong marriages because God is at the helm. If He is not, it is reason to examine why. "And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand" (Mark 3:25). If a couple is unequally yoked, or if a husband and wife have never given their lives to Christ, they should submit themselves to Him, repent of sin, and faithfully follow His Word (the Bible).
Throughout Scripture God's call to mankind is to return to His Word and build our homes on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ the Lord. "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.... Teach them diligently to your children" (Deuteronomy 6:6-7).
The cornerstone in the foundation of a happy home is the spiritual exercise of prayer, Bible reading, obeying God's commands, and fellowship with others who have made Christ predominant in life.
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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)
(c)2020 BILLY GRAHAM DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
