God created the family as we have traditionally known it. He created Adam and Eve, and he
married them in the garden of Eden, and then he told them to be fruitful and multiply, (see Gen.
1:26-31; 2:1-25). In both the Old and New Testaments, God provided guidance for family living
and happiness. In the Bible, God explains the roles of husband/father and wife/mother. He
prescribes what they are to do and how they are to relate to each other. He commands that
marriage be held in high honor, and forbids frivolous divorce and remarriage, (cf. Heb. 13:4; Mt.
5:32, 19:1ff). Throughout the Bible, God has provided for special mechanisms to care for widows
and orphans – those bereft of natural family care.
God is family-friendly! He knows what works in the family, and lays it out for all to see. He
also provides us with the motivation to follow his word in these matters because he knows that
doing so will result in genuine happiness and fulfillment. God wants people – all people – to be
happy, and his word reads like an owner’s manual designed to produce maximum fulfillment for
his creation. Marriages and families modeled after the Bible tend to endure longer and result in
happier relationships than any other conceivable model.
The problem comes when people reject the biblical pattern, and substitute Satan’s lies. They
use their own shortsighted wisdom, rather than the eternal truths of God’s word. When this
occurs, marriages begin to crumble, children lose direction and respect for their parents, and the
amazing blessings found only in godly families are eventually lost and forgotten.
Our nation has largely left its biblical heritage. Most Americans no longer read God’s word
daily. Many of them are profoundly unfamiliar with the Bible. If they consider it at all, they
usually think of it as merely a great work of literature – uninspired and imperfect. The rise of
Bible critics in our land has been embarrassing, and the true student of God’s word does not have
to hear them long to see they “know not whereof they speak.” Meanwhile, the degeneration of
the American home continues at an alarming pace.
We are at a critical point in America. Some would argue that we have already passed a “tipping
point” beyond which there is no return. It only takes one generation to forsake God’s way before
the results are disastrous. Some would argue that we are several generations into the process
already. Even though the history of mankind is filled with nations who once flourished under
Bible principles but eventually were destroyed when they departed from them, our culture does
not seem to understand this sober reality. Satan has convinced many that there are ways better
than God’s way.
It is important that we stop and take a long, humble look at God’s word on marriage and the
family. We need to consider what truly makes a happy marriage, and a godly home. Before it is
too late, we need to ponder these biblical principles and return to God’s way. The need is urgent
and the hour is late.
Remember that God wants you to be happy and fulfilled. Jesus said, “The thief [Satan] cometh
not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy: I came that they may have life, and may have it
abundantly,” (Jn. 10:10). God loves you, and he loves strong, happy marriages. He delights in
Christian homes, each of which is a special foretaste of heaven itself. God is family-friendly.
Listen carefully to this morning’s sermon, which is entitled, How to Have a Happy Home. We
will be challenging you with scriptures for implementing tried-and-true principles for achieving
success in marriage and the family. Some of this material will run counter to the culture. Some
will not be very woke or politically correct, but it is worth carefully considering. It may also run
counter to your pattern and practice, but I am asking each of us to search the Scriptures together
and implement God’s word.
Like a trusted friend, God gives us wise advice about our marriage and our home. May we
have the humility and clear judgment to recognize the value of his instruction, and put it into
practice!
– by Robert C. Veil, Jr.
