Family Unity and Stability

In 1 Timothy 6:12 (NLT), the Apostle Paul gives a powerful message through his encouragement to his apprentice, Timothy: “Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses.”  Paul is urging Timothy—and us—to stay strong in our faith and keep pressing forward, no matter how tough things get. He’s encouraging us to stick with Jesus Christ, because he’s our foundation. We should hold on to our faith in him through trials, temptations, and persecutions that come our way because we…

When Tabby was ten years old, her father left her mother and her two younger brothers, but she wasn’t sad about it at all. Her mother worked two jobs, and Tabby and her brothers would pick up odd jobs in the neighborhood on the weekends when they got old enough. They were struggling, but her mother’s love for them made their lives so sweet that it didn’t feel like a struggle at all. Her father constantly complained about how unhappy he was when he lived with them. He said that his family was the reason he couldn’t be the success…

Brenda and Dorothy have been friends for over thirty years, but lately their friendship has been strained. Together, they’ve been through thick and thin, and everyone who knows them knows you probably won’t see one without the other. In her mid-fifties, Dorothy has never been married, but Brenda was married before they even met. Her husband passed away almost five years ago, and to say that she was devastated is an understatement. Dorothy was there for her every step of the way, and Brenda depended on her more than any friend should. Recently, Dorothy met someone new and they are…

The one piece of knowledge that anyone seeking marriage should know is the degree to which darkness can be operating in the person they might choose. Yes, I know, this isn’t the optimism people want to hear. They want to go wherever their heart leads them, but God’s wisdom teaches us that the heart can lead us down the path of serious trouble. We need to know the truth because Jesus Christ tells us in John 8:32 that only the truth can set us free. We will not be free by believing a lie. God tells us in Hosea 4:6…

2Timothy 1:7(NKJV) informs us, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” Fear doesn’t come from God, it comes from the devil, and this is very important to know. This verse isn’t referring to the natural tendency to self-preserve and self-protect, it’s referring to the emotions, feelings, attitudes, and behaviors that reflect a lack of faith in God. Our Heavenly Father instructs us in Philippians 4:6(NLT), “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”…

Romans 8:28(NLT)tells us, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” This verse is probably on the favorite list of just about every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is extremely comforting to know that God has our backs in this way, and it assures us of His limitless power and amazing grace. All of us have been in situations where it seemed impossible for things to come together. We made big mistakes, and some of these were colossal doozies,…

Your level of spiritual maturity determines a great deal about the success of your significant relationship. The best thing we can do for ourselves and those we love is to begin our relationships from a place of spiritual strength. This means that when it comes to dating or meeting someone new, we’ve made the example of Christ our prime motivation. It also means that we’re confident that God’s love is the greatest power that exist, and He is the glue to holding our unions together. This truth can in no way be an afterthought or something we consider at the…

Tony was a faithful and dutiful husband to Abigail. They had been married six years, and it was the second time around for Abigail. Neither of them had children, but Tony desperately wants kids. Although they talked about it before getting married, he had never shared with Abigail that it was a deeply held desire for him. He never wanted her to feel pressured, and always placed her happiness above his own. Abigail came from a big family, and had assumed she’d have one, but at 34, she’s not sure this is what she wants anymore. She’s working two jobs…

Debra was a young work colleague who was strikingly attractive and very well put together every day. Even though her thick, wavy hair was immaculately coiffed, and her outfits were impeccably styled, she always seemed nervous and insecure. It was very curious to me. Her initial presentation was that of someone very confident, but she was also antsy and always seemed preoccupied. I later learned that Debra was in a relationship and was consumed by it. As I got to know her better and became her confidant, I was concerned about her behavior towards the target of her affection. It…

The road to marriage and crossing paths with the right person for you is a very narrow one. It’s a road that can only accommodate two people, you and your future spouse. The thing that you must always keep in mind is that the love of God is the map that will lead you to this road. When the love of Jesus Christ is firmly anchored in your heart, it behaves like an inner navigation system that guides the two of you to each other. This is the way destiny has always worked and God designed it to be fail-proof….

“I’m not ready to meet anyone serious right now. I need to get myself together financially before I make that move.” I’ve heard men of all ages make this statement. Even those that have relationships with significant women in their lives still point to a lack of financial stability as their hold-off for marriage. It’s important to put it out there right up front that some men, a lot of them actually, are not interested in marriage. Although it may be somewhere in the back of their minds as a “one day I might” type of deal, the idea of…

When a parent or guardian deserts a child with little or no regard for the child’s overall welfare and well-being, it is referred to as child abandonment. There is a more formalized definition and set of parameters for what qualifies legally as child abandonment, but to adults that have grown up under single-parent households, formalities are nowhere near the top of the list. The absence of what might have been uncompromised self-esteem and self-worth, not to mention feelings of rejection, shame, and the need to hide part of yourself; these are just a few of the residuals that parental abandonment…

Choosing the right person as our marital partner is one of the most important choices we make in life. This is the person that will walk with us through all the ups, downs, turns and twists that come with being on this planet. Relationships are like every single other thing that God has created, they have a purpose, and they have a purpose that He has ordained. Everyday life teaches us that when something is not employed or used in accordance with the purpose for which it was created, that thing will malfunction or cease to be as useful as…

In John 3:16(NLT), Jesus Christ said, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God, and he is God’s greatest treasure. Although it is quite astounding and seems too good to be true, God was not only willing to give over His most precious treasure for our sakes, but in truth God allowed the sacrifice of His only begotten Son in the most humiliating, painful, and agonizing death that any human…

Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, walked the face of the earth over four thousand years ago. John 3:16(NLT) says, “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” Through Jesus Christ, we learn how much God loves us. His only begotten Son is His greatest treasure, and He gave him to the world. Anyone that has been given the privilege and honor of being someone’s parent or guardian can relate to this. As responsible and supportive parents and guardians,…

Too many times, we hear women complain about how few good men there seem to be out there, but long ago I made a commitment to myself that I would never take a ride on that band-wagon. I’m sure you’ve been in circles where you’ve heard someone say something negative like ‘all men cheat’, ‘they can’t be trusted’, or ‘you’re better off alone.’ Women of faith must know these statements aren’t true. As women who love the Lord with all our hearts, we know the God we serve gives only good and perfect gifts. This is exactly what Heavenly Father…

When times are at their worse, they will bring out or increase one of two basic qualities in an individual. Either the individual will be fearful or faithful. Every other emotion, feeling, or attitude they express will have their root in either of the two. The interesting thing about us humans is that we can’t experience them both at the same time. Either we will let fear rule our hearts, or we will allow faith to rule us. It’s a choice, and it is astoundingly consequential. 1John 4:18(NIV) tells us, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives…

Deuteronomy 4:29 (NLT)But from there you will search again for the LORD your God. And if you search for him with all your heart and soul, you will find him. Just as the Word of God declares, I believe very strongly that if you want or desire something that lines up with God’s purpose for your life, there’s nothing on earth that can keep it from you. This is much needed encouragement during wait-mode. Many of us are praying to receive divine direction and guidance that will position us on the path to meet a loving man. You desire him…

When it comes to partnering in marriage, God hasn’t kept us in the dark about His standards and expectations. In Ephesians 5:25, He tells the husband to love his wife just as Christ loved the church and gave his life for her. Again, in Colossians 3:19, He tells husbands they must love their wives and not be bitter towards them. In Ephesians 5:22, He commands the wife to submit to her husband in the same manner she submits to the Lord; and in 1Timothy 3:11, we learn that God expects the wife to be reverent, temperate, and faithful in all…

“I’m thirty-two, and I’m the only one in my group of girlfriends that’s still single.” This statement, or something like it, is one many of us have heard from at least one of our single friends. Now more than ever, we’re being told that loneliness is an epidemic, and some have bought into this hook, line, and sinker. It has caused undue stress around being single and promoted the feeling that “all the good ones are taken.” It’s true that many single believers are in a kind of mourning for what they think they are missing. And it’s from this…

It is very common for people to put everything in their relationships, to the point of being completely consumed. Sometimes when we do this, we are so caught up that we can’t detect when the relationship is actually slipping out of our fingers. The person we love doesn’t feel the same level of love for us. They know it’s going to be devastating to our lives, and because of this, they don’t communicate the reality that their feelings have changed. Finally, after months of trying to pretend, this person can’t continue on any longer and finds the courage to end…

I’ve known my girlfriend’s son, Benjamin, since he was a baby. It has been a joy to watch him turn adversities into triumphs, as he grew into a very successful and accomplished young man. In my eyes, he’s always been beautiful, but with a slouch and awkward walk, Benjamin had a tough time in school. Some kids can be cruel and make fun of anything they perceive as different, but that didn’t stop him from falling in love at least a dozen times before he was even eight years old. Girls broke his little heart every time, and to cheer…