A survey of 18 – 24-year olds revealed that a quarter thought marriage should be a temporary arrangement much like a mobile phone contract. It shows that like so many ‘traditional values’ the idea of lifelong commitment is increasingly seen as unrealistic. Our consumer culture which encourages us to regularly upgrade to the latest model has finally affected the way we view relationships.
Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised. Our society has lost sight of the concept of a loving, faithful God. So, it’s no wonder that we’ve lost confidence in our own ability to sustain lifelong relationships.
The problem is, however, that while our expectation of lifelong fidelity may have fallen, it’s the one thing we truly long for. Our hearts are never more fulfilled than when we know that we are truly loved, and never more broken than when that love is betrayed.
Instead of abandoning the idea of lifelong commitment we need to rediscover the God of the Bible whose love for us for everlasting and inexhaustible. Once we’ve done that, we may also rediscover our own ability to love for a lifetime.
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