Larry Ray Hafley
Recently, I read the following newspaper headline, "Divorce cripples
finances, creates chaos, low self-esteem." The first sentence of the article
under the headline said, "Divorce is always tough on children, destroying their
emotional security, creating financial chaos and uprooting everything they know
as 'home.'"
If there were no "judgment to come," if there were no heaven and no hell, the
travesty and tragedy of divorce, just on a personal, social, and economic level,
would be enough to cause us to hate it and to do everything in our power to
avoid it (Mal. 2:16).
What does divorce do? (1) It declares a failure. Whether or not it is a
scriptural divorce, it testifies to failure. (2) It opens the door for sin to be
compounded, to become worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived (Matt.
5:32). (3) In the eyes of the world, it legitimizes adultery and gives legal
sanction to immorality. (4) It says that virtue and purity have been thrown into
the mud. (5) It terminates that which was not designed to be terminated (Matt.
19:3-6). (6) It destroys the delicate nature and the sweet soul of children. (7)
It robs a home of its sense of family, and of belonging, a neighborhood of its
sense of community, and a nation of its essential essence. (8) It leads to
increased psychopathic criminal behavior, wanton cruelty, and random, unprovoked
violence. (9) Scriptural, God approved divorce provides a release, and protects
the godly from the infection of sin, but it does not cure the sin, heal the
sinner, or ease the pain (Matt. 19:9). (10) It may provide an open door for a
hurting heart to hear the soothing, healing gospel of forgiveness (1 Cor.
6:9-11).
We know a thousand ugly things that divorce does to us personally,
spiritually, socially, economically, and nationally. To protect against it, let
your children see the nurture, love and discipline of two hearts committed to
Christ and to one another. Let them hear your repentance when you fail. Let them
share your joys and your sorrows. Let them see your commitment when times are
difficult and when feelings are tender, for love has no meaning if it is never
tested. Such determined love is the friend of all that is pure and the enemy of
all that is evil.
Love and pray for those whose lives have been tortured by divorce. Extend a
hand, share a tear, embrace a lonely heart.
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