"Sinkhole Alley"
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There's a terrifying place in Florida called "sinkhole alley" — a three-county-wide swath of land known to swallow houses whole! Imagine enjoying a Saturday morning off, watching cartoons with your family, when suddenly the foundation beneath you erodes, leaving you fighting for your lives in your pajamas. We like to think of our home as a safe place, but what makes it safe? What's the bedrock on which a stable family is built?
The Big Idea
The marriage covenant is God's foundation for a stable family. Jesus says that in marriage, we become "no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate" (Matt. 19:6). So a rock-solid marriage begins with reverence for God and the one-ness he creates. "Because the Lord was witness between you and the wife of your youth ... your companion and your wife by covenant" (Mal. 2:14).
And as the next verse highlights, our honor for our spouse affects our children. "Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth" (Mal. 2:15). Sometimes couples split apart; sometimes they drift apart. But non-stop fighting and unfaithfulness will weaken the foundation of your family, eroding the bedrock on which you once hoped to build.
So, grow your love for your spouse, stay on the same page, and work out your differences in a way that honors Christ (Eph. 5:21). Sacrifice for each other, holding your relationship above all others — even above a relationship with your children! Mutual love and respect act as the reinforced concrete to keep that sinkhole from ever forming. As Paul said, "let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband" (Eph. 5:33).
The Big Question
How are you fostering stability in your relationship?
