The statistics show that 75% of marriages are more likely to divorce if they have friends who are divorced.
The reason some divorce rates have decreased in certain areas is that the couples are not marrying at all, so they split but there is no divorce on record.
Marriage is not valued in our region of the country. The divorce rate goes down when people are not even marrying, to begin with, but breakups are more likely among couples who shack up, even if there are children.
The mentality of cohabitating before marriage shows a lack of commitment and a lack of love. There is the continual sense in the shack-ups that if things don't work out the way they want they will just walk away without the hassle of divorce. There can be no love involved in this mentality.
The world's wisdom teaches that ease of life is the ultimate goal rather than the heroism of working through difficult things to become a better person.
Weakness and selfishness motivate couples to use one another rather than sacrifice for one another. There is no love in lack of commitment, there is no love in bailing out of difficult situations, no heroism, no sense of noble actions in giving up something we want for the sake of another person.
When "Christianity" becomes a means to an end, which is safety for self, it is not Christianity at all but a false and empty religion. When the standard is based on human desires and comfort there can be no dedication to Christ or anyone else.
Sadly many people attending church gatherings today have no interest in knowing Christ let alone obeying His principles. These people are beggarly and weak in their form of "religious Christianity", which is claiming to be something they are not, that is born-again.
Matthew 15:7-9 "…7You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you: 8‘ These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. 9 They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’ ”…"
Revelation 3:17-18 "17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have grown wealthy and need nothing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, white garments so that you may be clothed and your shameful nakedness not exposed, and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.…"
The only solution for this problem in the church is repentance, cleansing through confession of sin, and the change Christ brings when we admit our sin of indifference to Him.
