Several years ago, "The American Journal of Health" reported the sad results of a long term survey. It said when parents are divorced — especially if the parents divorced before the children where twenty-one — the children involved tended to have shorter life spans by more than four years than children who did not experience parental divorce.

Strangely, the same findings did not bear out for children who lost parents due to death. Divorce creates a lot of stress and unhealthy behaviors as well. The researchers believe that social isolation created by divorce might be responsible for the results of the survey. Whatever the reason, the point is even years down the line the effects are felt.

The Bible says, God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16). And this is just one more reason why. However, rather than using this to emotionally beat up on divorced people — most of whom hate divorce, too — let's use this as a stimulus to invest and revitalize our marriages. I have often taught couples that the greatest thing they can do for their children is to love each other. However, this kind of love must go beyond mere emotion and feeling; it needs to involve demonstrative actions as well as kind words.

Children, you show love for others by truly helping them, and not merely by talking about it (1 John 3:18 CEV).

We can and must learn to love each other these ways: our children's futures are riding on it!