A Better Plan

Sexual immorality and any impurity or greed should not even be heard of amoung you, as is proper for saints.

Ephesians 5:3

Today's devotional talks about the write'sneighbor, Rita whose husband left her for another woman. She talks about how Rita became bitter about her situation. Rita had gone from being a stay at home mom, living a comfortable life, to a working single mom of two teenage daughters. One day Rita announced that she had met a man. They had been dating for a few months, and he was going to move in with her and the girls. The writer expressed her concern, but Rita did not want to be lectured. The writer explanied to Rita that she was concerned that Rita may be settlinn for something that might not be God's best for her. Rita became defensive and said, "Well we're not living in the 50's anymore. People just take it for granted that couples are going to live together. It's no big deal."

The writer goes on to give statistics of a study done by Rutgers University of living together before marriage, and how it increases the risk of breaking up after marriage, domestic violence for women, and the risk of physical and sexual abuse for children. The study states that unmarried couples have lower levels of happiness and well-being than married couples.

This is one of those areas where I tend to feel like a hypocrit. My husband and I lived together before we were married. If I had it do over, I would do it differently, we both would. I was a Christian at the time, but not where I needed to be with God. I had come out of a very bad marriage, where, to me, I didn't see how abusive my ex-husband was until we were married and living together, and I did not want to go through that again. In reality, I was so young when I started dating my ex-husband, and still so young when we got married, that He was like that the whole time, I just didn't want to see it. I hope to help our youth decided not to live with a boyfriend/girlfriend before marriage, but I also hope that they don't think me a hypocrit for telling them not to do something that I myself did.

Steps of Faith:
Father, please convict couples who are living together without the benefit of marriage that it is not Your best for them. Protect any children involved in those relationships.

Deeper Walk:
Ephesians 5:1-14 NAS
Be Imitators of God

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named amoung you, as is proper amoung saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of the darness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. For this reason it says, "Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."