Family Ties

I ran across an article today that caught my attention. The article is based on a recent study done by The University of Virginia. The study's main point...

Men who attend religious services regularly are more likely to have happy and stable marriages, more likely to be involved with their children and less likely to divorce.

Here are a few statistics from the study:

• 70 percent of husbands "who attend church regularly report they are 'very happy' in their marriages," compared to "59 percent of husbands who rarely or never attend church."
• Men and women who attended religious services several times a month or more "were approximately 35 percent less likely to divorce between 1988 and 1993, compared to their married peers who rarely or never attended religious services."
• Fathers who attend church several times a month or more "devote at least two hours a week more in youth-related activities," "are significantly more likely to engage in one-on-one activities with their school-age children" and "are also at least 65 percent more likely to report praising and hugging their children very often" compared to fathers who don't any religious affiliation.
• Mothers "who attend church weekly or more are about half as likely to have a child outside of wedlock, compared to mothers who attend church less often or never."

What do we do with this research? How do we respond to this information? For me personally, I have experienced how church involvement has made my marriage and my relationships more healthy. Of course, let me also say that THE secret to a healthy, long-lasting marriage is not church attendance. THE secret is a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ changes the hearts of husbands and wives and families so that the focus of our hearts shifts to loving God and loving others. So that's THE secret. However, according to the recent research, "A" secret to a healthy marriage is a commitment to the local church.

A few questions to consider:

• How healthy is your marriage?
• Do you have a growing relationship with Jesus Christ?
• Are you involved in a local church?
• If not, why not? Don't you care about your marriage and your family?