rizen1
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Divorce
NLT Parenting Devotional
“For I hate divorce!” says the Lord, the God of Israel. “To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife.”
Malachi 2:16
Divorce really hurts. And it hurts more than just the splitting partners. Tonsillitis, repeated ear infections, pneumonia, allergies, asthma, chronic skin conditions, chronic lung problems, and urinary infections—these are some of the health problems encountered by children of divorced or separated parents.
In fact, a study by researcher Jane Mauldon of the University of California at Berkeley discovered that children of broken families run a 35-percent risk of developing these health problems. The risk among all children is just 26 percent. And the problems tend to continue even after the mother remarries.
In her conclusions, Mauldon noted, “Children are likely to have experienced very significant stress because their living standards changed dramatically. They probably also lost many of the resources that contribute to good health—a safe, comfortable environment, relatively free of environmental hazards and risks of infection, good food, and constant adult supervision.”
Ms. Mauldon’s findings are consistent with other studies that have outlined a myriad of physical and emotional problems in children from broken homes. Gone is the myth that kids can cope and that divorce affects only the adults. These kids are hurting.
And these studies confirm what Christians have been insisting on for decades—the vital importance of a loving family as the cornerstone of society. I’m not suggesting that marriage and homes will be healthy and happy simply because Mom and Dad stay together. Our society is replete with abusive marriage and dysfunctional families.
Marriage takes work, and raising children is an awesome responsibility. But let’s stop kidding ourselves that “nobody gets hurt.” And let’s help the home. Let’s redevelop a godly hatred of divorce.
NLT Parenting Devotional
“For I hate divorce!” says the Lord, the God of Israel. “To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife.”
Malachi 2:16
Divorce really hurts. And it hurts more than just the splitting partners. Tonsillitis, repeated ear infections, pneumonia, allergies, asthma, chronic skin conditions, chronic lung problems, and urinary infections—these are some of the health problems encountered by children of divorced or separated parents.
In fact, a study by researcher Jane Mauldon of the University of California at Berkeley discovered that children of broken families run a 35-percent risk of developing these health problems. The risk among all children is just 26 percent. And the problems tend to continue even after the mother remarries.
In her conclusions, Mauldon noted, “Children are likely to have experienced very significant stress because their living standards changed dramatically. They probably also lost many of the resources that contribute to good health—a safe, comfortable environment, relatively free of environmental hazards and risks of infection, good food, and constant adult supervision.”
Ms. Mauldon’s findings are consistent with other studies that have outlined a myriad of physical and emotional problems in children from broken homes. Gone is the myth that kids can cope and that divorce affects only the adults. These kids are hurting.
And these studies confirm what Christians have been insisting on for decades—the vital importance of a loving family as the cornerstone of society. I’m not suggesting that marriage and homes will be healthy and happy simply because Mom and Dad stay together. Our society is replete with abusive marriage and dysfunctional families.
Marriage takes work, and raising children is an awesome responsibility. But let’s stop kidding ourselves that “nobody gets hurt.” And let’s help the home. Let’s redevelop a godly hatred of divorce.
