“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”(Ephesians 6:1,4,NIV)
The Bible does not entrust the responsibility of raising children in the instruction and discipline of the Lord to anyone other than parents (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). Parents are called to fulfill their God-given duty to teach and guide their children. They are also to take on a priestly role, praying and interceding for their children’s sins and salvation. In order to pass on the faith, parents and children must communicate within the context of everyday life. They are to share the truths they believe and the experiences they have lived in faith. Genuine spiritual formation must take place in the home.
According to a 2021 survey by the Pastoral Data Research Institute of 500 middle and high school students who attend church across Korea, 54 percent said their mother had the greatest influence on their spiritual lives, and 33 percent said their father. Only 25 percent said a pastor, down from 33 percent in 2019. The influence of church teachers also declined from 19 percent in 2019 to just 11 percent.
However, many of the families that should be raising the next generation are breaking apart. Korea’s divorce rate has been high for a long time, and the situation in many Western Christian countries is equally severe. In 2021, an average of 300 couples in Korea divorced each day. Globally, Korea ranks among the countries with the highest divorce rates. According to the OECD’s Society at a Glance 2019 report, Korea’s crude divorce rate was 2.1 per 1,000 people in 2016. That number has doubled since 1991 and is higher than the OECD average of 1.9. Korea is ninth among OECD countries in divorce rate and first among Asian countries. When considering population size, the situation is especially serious. Divorce is not merely an issue between a husband and wife. It has a lasting effect on children. Parental conflict caused by divorce, separation, and even domestic violence often leaves emotional damage. According to data collected by the Korean National Police Agency, among 3,195 domestic violence cases reported in one month, the most common causes of severe abuse were divorce or separation requests and suspicions of infidelity. These two causes accounted for 42 percent of all cases. As a result, the issue of raising children in broken families has become a serious social concern. There is a growing trend of youth from divorced or abusive homes being unable to adjust and ending up on the streets. Many children today grow up in single-parent households due to divorce or unmarried births. In 2021, there were 1.51 million such households in Korea, accounting for 6.9 percent of all families.
The countries with the highest crude divorce rates in the world were as follows: Russia ranked first with 4.7 divorces per 1,000 people, followed by Guam (4.2), Moldova (3.7), Belarus (3.4), and Latvia (3.1). The United States also showed a high crude divorce rate at 2.5, considering its large population. China also has a high divorce rate. According to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, there were 1.58 million divorce cases in China by the third quarter of 2021, a decrease of 1 million cases (38.8%) compared to the same period in 2020.
》Prayer Points
1. The family is a blessed place where parents raise their children with the Lord’s instruction and discipline, and children learn to obey their parents. Let us pray that God will fill parents with His heart, love, and wisdom so they can nurture their children in truth and faith.
2. A parent’s character and values are deeply reflected in their children. Let us confess that many of the struggles we see in the young generation stem from our own sins as parents, and repent for failing to be true witnesses of Jesus Christ to them. May the Lord have mercy on both the parent generation and the youth.
》Scripture Prayer
(Proverbs 21:16–25,NIV) 16 Whoever strays from the path of prudence comes to rest in the company of the dead. 17 Whoever loves pleasure will become poor; whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich. 18 The wicked become a ransom for the righteous, and the unfaithful for the upright. 19 Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife. 20 The wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down. 21 Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor. 22 One who is wise can go up against the city of the mighty and pull down the stronghold in which they trust. 23 Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity. 24 The proud and arrogant person—“Mocker” is his name—behaves with insolent fury. 25 The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him, because his hands refuse to work.
》Pray that the Word may become the Conclusion.
1. Marriage and family are God’s design for a husband and wife to become one in both body and spirit and live together with one heart. But sinners who have turned away from God and the truth of Scripture have abandoned the path of wisdom and end up living under the rule of death. This leads to constant conflict, anger, unforgiveness, and even violence. Eventually it results in divorce and, at times, even murder. Let us pray in the name of Christ to break the lies and schemes of Satan that make people view the high divorce rate as a normal and acceptable part of society.
2. Divorce is not just a private pain between two people. It brings suffering and burdens to children, extended family, and the entire society. When families fall apart, the future of the youth grows dark, and both society and the nation face collapse. Let us pray that the pride and wickedness of the arrogant and disrespectful within families will be removed and that homes will be restored through the gospel of righteousness and mercy. May life, justice, and glory flow from husbands and wives to their children, to society, to the nation, and to all the nations of the earth so that the grace and power of salvation may overflow.
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