marriage Archives

The Post Pandemic State of Marriage and the Family

Coming out of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, you might have missed news last week of a significant study concerning the current state of the American Family.

“The Divided State of Our Unions: Family Formation in (Post) Covid America” confirms much of what we’ve been tracking here at Focus on the Family regarding the rapidly evolving dynamics surrounding attitudes toward marriage and children.

A crisis almost never leaves anyone the same, so a fair question to ask is just how has the global pandemic impacted our relationships?

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family, marriage, parenting November 30, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Rescuing Your Marriage from Pornography

Pornography destroys marriages.

It breeds disconnection instead of intimacy.It deepens secrecy.It creates distrust.

The data is astonishing. Josh McDowell did a study which revealed that 79 percent of men in the evangelical church use pornography at least once a month. Fifty-five percent of marriages are negatively impacted by pornography.

Many women are in pain because of their husband’s pornography use. They feel isolated, ashamed, hopeless, and helpless. They’ve tried many things to fight for their marriage – like being more sexual with him; being more patient, forgiving, or gracious; or creating a more loving environment.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family, marriage November 16, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Going All Out for Your Wife

Men, we’re at war.

Most guys probably don’t think about their roles as husbands or fathers in those terms very often. That could be why so many men succumb to the dangers of pornography and adulterous affairs. They seem oblivious to how the enemy of their soul uses those temptations to ruthlessly plot their destruction.

That’s why author and speaker Dr. Steve Farrar specifically compares a man’s role in his home to point men in military conflict.

Topics: Current Events Tags: faith, family, marriage November 11, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Cultivating a Kingdom Marriage

The war epic Saving Private Ryan opens with one of the most riveting battle scenes in film history. It depicts in graphic detail the D-Day invasion of Omaha Beach in Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944. It’s a vivid depiction of heroic bravery and sacrifice.

I also think it depicts the spiritual battle that’s waging over your marriage and mine. Satan despises marriage, and he hopes to destroy each one he can. Trace human history back to the Garden, and you’ll see that Satan made his move against humanity after God brought Adam and Eve together in a union designed to reflect the relationship between Christ and His church and the intimacy shared between the Trinity.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family, marriage November 2, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Maximizing the Happiness in Your Marriage

On our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Maximizing the Happiness in Your Marriage,” you’ll hear from researcher and author Shaunti Feldhahn, who explains what the happiest married couples do to be … well, happy.

Her premise is simple: the best way to have a good marriage is to find out what the happiest couples are doing and emulate them. To discover what those things are, she surveyed thousands of married couples and dug more deeply into the relationships of those who independently reported high degrees of satisfaction in their marriage.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, marriage October 28, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

A Two Word Solution to an Age-Old Problem: Stop It!

Readers above a certain age will remember the comedian Bob Newhart. Now 92 years-old, the actor known for his deadpan delivery once played a psychologist dispensing advice to a cast of eclectic characters. Encountering a woman who feared and thought continuously about being buried in a box, the doctor famously relayed a two-word solution:

“Stop it!”

Naturally, breaking a bad and destructive habit is easier said than done. But the first step is realizing the harm that is done by consuming pornography.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family, marriage, parenting, pop culture October 27, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Sharing Your Faith with Boldness

In 2014, brothers David and Jason Benham were considered the next stars of the HGTV cable channel. Their show Flip It Forward was expected to be as successful as Chip and Joanna Gaines’ show, Fixer Upper.

However, five weeks into a 10-week film shoot – and just months away from airing the first episode – David and Jason were fired. HGTV executives said activist organizations had begun confronting the channel and targeting advertisers. The reason?

The Benham brothers are unabashedly vocal about social issues related to marriage and pro-life values.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, marriage, pro-life October 22, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Friends Helping Friends: Identifying Abuse in Marriage

There’s a good chance that you know someone at church or at work who feels trapped in an abusive marriage. Three-quarters of Americans know someone who is a victim of domestic violence. According to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, 1 in 4 women experience severe physical violence from an intimate partner.

As that person’s friend, you’re in a natural position to help. A lot of people in abusive relationships won’t seek out a counselor, but they will talk with a trusted friend.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: marriage October 20, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Keeping Your Family Healthy

On our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Keeping Your Family Healthy,” we’re talking with Dr. Scott James, author of the book, God Cares for Me: Helping Children Trust God When They’re Sick.

He’s a pediatric infectious disease specialist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital. He’s also a member of Focus on the Family’s Physicians Resource Council, a great team of physicians and medical professionals who volunteer their time to advise us about medical issues that are most relevant to families.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, marriage October 15, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Breathe Spiritual Life into Your Marriage

As followers of Christ, we believe that marriage is a symbol of something spiritual and sacred. In Ephesians 5:32, the apostle Paul calls marriage a “mystery” and compares it to Jesus’ relationship with the Church.

So why do so many of us allow ourselves to be distracted by the busyness of life instead of plumbing the depths of relational intimacy. There’s so much to do that we put our marriages and our children on autopilot while we tend to more “important” matters.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, marriage October 7, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura