The Family Plan

The strength of a society depends on the fortitude of its families. A committed marriage not only has a positive effect on the parties thereof, but also on the children. Ecclesiastes 4 addresses the important of these dynamics:
9 Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor.
10 For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up.
11 Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

That "threefold cord" has been referred to as a married couple and God - submitted to Him to make their marriages fulfilling and reflective of His glory. The joy that is produced in a committed, Christ-centered marriage, to which I can testify personally, is incredible, and that can provide us with an extra measure of strength, clarity, and accountability for our lives.  Out of strong marriages proceed strong families, and these are essential components of our culture. 

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The health of the Church, and I would contend society at large, is influenced greatly by the strength of its marriages. Paul addressed the sanctity of marriage in Ephesians chapter 5:
30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.
31 "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."
32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

While family dynamics are changing and everyone may not enjoy the family structure that I am about to address, we do recognize that the Biblical standard is set in the book of Genesis - one man, one woman marriage, united to "be fruitful and multiply."  But, I admit it, that's not the case for some.

But, a new study shows how married parents raising children is an effective means for building a society on a strong foundation.  The information is found at CBN.com, and the article says:

In a blog post titled The Resurgence of the Two-Parent Family for The Institute for Family Studies, research psychologist Nicholas Zill noted data from "the U.S. Census Bureau shows that in 2023, the proportion of children in two-parent families increased to 71%. The fraction in single-parent families decreased to 25%, while the proportion with neither birth parent declined slightly to under 4%."

Two years ago, Zill discovered that the number of children living in a traditional two-parent family had stopped declining.

The article also notes:

He also noted the current trends show the prognosticators who predicted a great increase "in family instability or single parenthood were simply wrong."

"There seem to be growing numbers of young adults in all racial and ethnic groups who realize the economic, educational, and emotional benefits of marriage for themselves and their future children. As parenthood becomes more selective, the marriage-minded may have an advantage in childbearing," Zill wrote.

And, to close out Sanctity of Human Life Month, here is some content from a Washington Stand article about this study that shows that two-married-parent households contribute to what has been called a "culture of life:"

Experts are also noting how the increasing number of children living with two parents is an indication of how the stable presence of a mother and father in the home strengthens a culture of life that leads to fewer abortions.

“The CDC data on the number of children killed through an abortion shows things have gotten worse over the past few years with one exception,” Mary Szoch, director of the Center for Human Dignity at Family Research Council, told The Washington Stand. “Women who are married have had fewer abortions each year since 2018. The 2021 data shows that only 12.7% of women who underwent abortions were married. We know that the very best environment for a child to be raised in is one where there is a loving mother and father. Clearly, the positive impact of growing up in a two-parent household begins long before birth, and in many instances, it is the difference between life and death for a child.”

While recognizing that many do not and perhaps will not experience the two-married-parent structure, we can also see that this sort of stability can be beneficial in a number of ways. And, I applaud those who do not have this structure, yet are attempting, through a reliance on Christ, to bring up their children in the ways of the Lord.  

It is important to note the way the way God intended for marriage and family to operate, according to Genesis, and how families who set these principles in motion can be strong, nurturing, and effective in preparing children for the world around them.  

Strong marriages are foundational to a healthy, functional society; and a contributing factor to the dysfunction we see all around us is the erosion of the family and its impact. The disintegration of a marriage has negative, painful consequences on not only the couple, but their children, and potentially, generations to come.