What the World Needs Now

2015 is one momentous year for my family:

• My younger sister got engaged in May to a wonderful man who loves the Lord.
• In August, my parents celebrated thirty-five years of marriage.
• Next month, Lord willing, my husband and I will welcome our second child into the world, just days after my sister's wedding day.
• Finally, November will joyously mark a decade of marriage for my older sister and her husband, who also have five kids and delight in them (and each other) greatly.

Truly, the Lord has given us many reasons to celebrate this year!

As I was reflecting on these celebrations, however, I was struck by the irony in light of the history-shaping events that have taken place this summer:

• The Supreme Court decision on "same-sex marriage" in June.
• The exposing of Planned Parenthood in July.
• The Ashley Madison hack just this month.

The world at large, is in dire need of beholding the power of God and the truth of His Word fleshed out in the most basic building blocks of society—families.

Here we are, celebrating a God-designed marriage, the delight of children coming forth from the womb, and steadfast faithfulness to the marriage covenant in the midst of a culture in which these things are losing any meaning and value they once had.

But celebrate we must. Why? Because America, and the world at large, is in dire need of beholding the power of God and the truth of His Word fleshed out in the most basic building blocks of society—families.

• Families modeled after the pattern in Scripture.
• Families in which one man and one woman are united in a sacred, lifelong covenant with God and with one another.
• Families in which that covenant is kept through ardent faithfulness and the enabling grace of God.
• Families in which rearing children—mess, expense, inconvenience, and all—is seen as a precious gift from God and an opportunity to bear fruit for His kingdom.
• Families in which the gospel of Jesus Christ is taking effect in all its sin-dethroning, heart-transforming, soul-satisfying power.

What the world needs now is to see husbands and wives who are so satisfied by Christ that they look not to their imperfect spouse to fulfill every need, but to the One whose indwelling Spirit helps them to daily put on kindness, humility, patience, tender-hearted forgiveness, and love ( Col. 3:12–14)—even when it is undeserved.

What the world needs now is to witness fathers and mothers finding great delight in their children and seeing them as a blessing and reward rather than a burden (Ps. 127:3–4).

What the world needs now is to watch faith-filled men and women put their trust in the power of God to help them rise above their sinful desires that are contrary to the pattern and command of Scripture—even if the process is slow, difficult, and costly.

What the world needs now is the example of single men and women whose satisfaction in their Savior spurs them on toward a life of purity in which they flee from the desires and lusts that would bring many a great consequence upon them.

What the world needs now is the gospel.

And what the world needs now is men and women—young and old, single and married—whose lives are a consistent demonstration of that gospel's power unto salvation.

What the world needs now is men and women—young and old, single and married—whose lives are a consistent demonstration of that gospel's power unto salvation.

And so we will go on joyfully celebrating a newborn baby, significant anniversaries, and my sister's approaching Big Day. We will do this not because our attitudes, actions, responses, habits, and words have made for flawless examples, but because we trust that God will continue to keep, satisfy, and sanctify us until the day of His appearing. We will do this because we have hope that He will use those imperfect examples to go on transforming those who are still in darkness and enslaved to sin.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Rom. 1:16).