Strong families serve as the fundamental fabric that holds society together. When the family unit weakens or breaks down, the essential values that sustain a healthy civic society begin to erode alongside it. At the heart of strong families lies the ideal of both mother and father united in marriage, each contributing their unique strengths to support one another and nurture their children.
In this vision of family, marriages represent more than legal contracts. They are sacred covenants formed between husband, wife, and God. Within such marriages, faith serves as the binding force that enables couples to establish a solid foundation capable of weathering life’s inevitable challenges. And make no mistake: storms will come to test every union.
While family units can certainly demonstrate strength outside of this religious framework, the covenant model represents the ideal standard. Rather than dismissing alternative family structures, we should focus on encouraging and providing appropriate counsel to men and women, helping them understand the benefits of committing to this God-blessed covenant as the cornerstone of their lives.
Throughout history, no institution has faced more scrutiny, challenge, and attempted transformation than marriage. Despite centuries of pressure from various social, political, and cultural forces, marriage has never become obsolete. This persistence stems from a fundamental truth: marriage is not merely a human invention or social convenience. It represents a divine design.
Martin Luther, the German theologian whose biblical studies ignited the Protestant Reformation in the early 16th century, understood this principle deeply. As both a married man and father of six children, Luther viewed marriage as a divine school for character development. He championed the sacred calling of holy matrimony, writing:
“Married life is no jest or to be taken lightly, but it is an excellent thing and a matter of divine seriousness.
For it is of the highest importance to God that people be raised who may serve the Lord and promote knowledge of him through godly living and virtue, in order to fight against wickedness and the devil.
I have always taught that marriage should not be despised, but that it be regarded according to God’s Word, by which it is adorned and sanctified.
Therefore, it is not a peculiar estate [condition], but the most common and noblest estate, which pervades all Christendom, and even extends through all the world.”
– Martin Luther
This Protestant understanding of marriage proved crucial to America’s very survival during its formative years. Without strong marriages anchoring families, the fledgling nation could never have endured its struggle for independence from King George III and British rule. The men who signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 understood they were essentially signing their own death warrants, transforming themselves into enemies of the Crown.
These signers and their wives fully grasped the magnitude of their sacrifice. The women faced the real possibility of never seeing their husbands again, while children risked growing up without fathers. The same Protestant spirit and reverence for marriage that Luther advocated became the moral foundation that sustained America through its darkest hours of uncertainty.
For two individuals to truly become one unified entity, they require a third presence: God, the original architect of marriage. He has provided what remains history’s most successful marriage manual, offering timeless wisdom through His word.
As the Apostle Paul instructed the Corinthian church: “The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband” (1 Corinthians 7:3). This reciprocal responsibility forms the bedrock of marital harmony.
This divine manual, the Bible, contains profound insights about marriage in crucial passages such as 1 Corinthians 7 (which addresses marital duties and singleness), Ephesians 5 (detailing mutual submission and sacrificial love), 1 Peter 3 (emphasizing understanding and honor between spouses), and Deuteronomy 6 (establishing the foundation for passing faith to children). Many couples remain unfamiliar with these essential teachings, but it’s never too late to discover their transformative power.
After all, who better to guide your marriage toward success than the One who officiated the very first wedding ceremony and blessed it with His divine approval, as recorded in Genesis 1:28? In seeking His wisdom, couples can build marriages that not only thrive personally but also contribute to the strength and stability of society as a whole.
MindWolves 