NEW NORMAL?

Hebrews 13:1-61 Keep on loving each other as brothers. 2 Do not forget toentertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertainedangels without knowing it. 3 Remember those in prison as if you weretheir fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if youyourselves were suffering. 4 Marriage should be honored by all, andthe marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. 5 Keep your lives free from the love of moneyand be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never willI leave you; never will I forsake you." 6 So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do tome?"

There's a new majority on the horizon. For the first time in US history, a group other than married-couple households is becoming the largest population segment. This emerging leader on the block is comprised of single adults.

Michelle Conlin, writing in Business Week, observes that "the US's86 million single adults could soon define the new majority. . . .What many once thought of as the fringe is becoming the new normal."

In comparison, families made up 80 percent of the US population inthe 1950s. Today that figure has dropped to just 50.7 percent.

There are many reasons for this drop, including: (1) The proliferation of unmarried couples living together; (2) A dramatic increase in divorce; (3) Widows who are livinglonger, healthier lives.

A number of societal changes are present in the wake of this new era. For instance, more and more voices are calling for thediscontinuation of benefits (taxes, insurance, Social Security) for married couples only. The institution of marriage is gradually being marginalized and moved out of the center of society. It seems like the nuclear family is being blown apart.

Now, don't get me wrong. Being single is not a bad thing, but neither is marriage.

In Hebrews 13, the writer honed in on the subject of love--for believers and for those who don't know Jesus. Then, in verse 4, he wrote, "Marriage should be honored by all." This is an imperative statement that we should read in this way: "Let marriage be held in honor."

When these words were written, marriage was under attack. The Gnostics felt it was better to remain single because the material world (that includes our bodies) was evil.

Despite the attacks then and the threats of today, we should holdmarriage in great honor. Paul did, and God created it. Marriage canbe beautiful, protecting, and perfecting if Jesus is at the center. --Tom Felten

DESTINATION POINTS

* How do I view marriage?
* Why is marriage such an importantcreation of God?

LINKS:
The New Normal--Singleness in America
http://www.christianexaminer.com/Articles/Chuck%20Colson/Art_Jan04_Colson.html

bottom line: Marriage is good in God's sight.

soul journey