"Broken Homes"

I;m taking a bit of a hop outside of what I typically write about on here - typically what I write is a bit about what God has been teaching me personally but here I would like to get into more of a social issue, from a biblical perspective, and it's been on my heart to write about this specific topic...

Broken homes. A term used to describe homes in which parents have divorced or separated.

Can I just say that I think we - in society, and in the church- should stop using the term 'broken homes'. First of all, it can be really hurtful for everyone involved, it insinuates that a person (whether a child of the couple or one of the parents) has been broken, that something isn't right with them, it can be devaluing as if being in a certain situation such a divorce/separation makes you less of a person and I'm guilty of this too, however a conscious effort should be made to stop.

It's true that the issues and consequences of divorce can have devastating effects on everyone involved.  And that is because it was not intended as part of God's plans for the earthly family. God is clear on the issue, He hates divorce [Malachi 2:16] but it happens and will continue to in this world.

And this is where I will get to the part of this issue that has been on my heart... that a 'broken home' as we call it- isn't just one that has been affected by divorce.

A broken home is one in which the family is not living for God and His glory.

Maybe that's a bold statement but self admittedly we are all broken without God - a part of us is incomplete - because we were made for relationship with Him. So why should it be different for the family? It's something God created for our joy and His glory.

There are so many situations in which people are living in that despite there not being a divorce the family is not as God intended it to be.
Wouldn't a home with chronic addiction be considered 'broken'? Where a parent or perhaps teenager in the home is only living for the next hit? What about trauma or abuse - physical, emotional sexual?, or parents that fight constantly but are still together at least in the legal sense- And these things can cause parents, teenagers, even young children to want to skip out on having a family of their own one day - Remember that family was designed by God to give us joy... So this is not what God intended, and it breaks His heart just as much as divorce would.


That's why I believe it's important to be aware of this, and - when someone's family life is not what God intended - it's been 'broken' in some sense - for God's family to come alongside, because His plan is to redeem families through Christ.