Basic HTML Version
love between a husband and
wife.
Maybe this will explain, if you
have not understood it befare, why
so much of human history has been
filled with inexplicable violence
and evil.
lt
has simply been a world
cut off from God for the most part,
experimenting to discover for itself
good and evil in a world under the
influence of Satan.
Modern family violence is no
exception.
Then What ls the Answer?
While there are no easy answers to
complex questions, there are
answers. We can tell you, from the
pages of the Bible, how a husband
should treat his wife and his chi l–
dren. This problem spans all ethnic,
national and socioeconomic boun–
daries. So the solution must span
all these as well.
lt
boils down to
whether or notan individual who is
abusing his wife or children is will–
ing to apply the way of life that
leads to happinesss.
Safe houses, shelters for battered
women , homes for abused chi ldren
are only a small part of the answer.
They are noble causes that help as
many as they can .
But unfortunately such shelters
cannot salve the
cause
of the
problem. Such methods are the
best human means so far devised
to treat the
result.
In the end,
only those who are committing
the sin can stop it, and perhaps
put together aga in a family
imbued with love for wife and
children.
Dr. J ames Dobson put it as well
as
1
have ever seen it put. While he
was not specifically dealing with
the problem of family abuse in his
book
Straight Talk to Men and
Their Wives,
he said, " l f America
[or any other nation] is going to
survive the incredible stresses and
dangers it now faces, it will be
because husbands and fathers again
place their families at the highest
leve! on their system of priori–
ties! "
Nothing could be more applica–
ble to the subject of battered
women and chi ldren.
The first and most important
step in treating the cause of fam–
ily abuse is for men who have
become husbands and fathers to
30
realize the awesome importance of
their responsibilities. Loving, pro–
viding for and protecting a wife is
infinitely more important than ris–
ing to fame and fortune in the
business world. Spending time
with, teaching and loving children
makes any other accomplishments
in this life paJe into insignifi–
cance.
The apost le Paul must have
looked into our time today when he
described the society of the last
days: "People will be lovers of
themselves, lovers of money, boast–
fu l, proud,
ABUSIVE,
disobedient to
their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
without lave, unforgiving, slander–
ous, without self-control, brutal,
not lovers of the good, treacherous,
If
just one husband
who has abused
a wife reads this
article and
sets
his will
to change, it will
well be worth the time
and effort.
rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure
rather than lovers of God"
(IJ
Tim.
3:2-4).
If
that doesn't describe this last
half of the 20th century A.D. , then
1 don't know what does.
That same apostle gave vivid,
explicit and loving instructions on
building the proper marital rela–
tionships.
Here's what he wrote in Ephe–
sians 5:25-29: "Husbands, love your
wives, just as Christ loved the
church and gave himself up for her
to make her holy ... and to present
her to himself as a radiant church,
without stain or wrinkle or any other
blemish, but holy and blameless. In
this same way, husbands ought to
lave thei r wives as their own bodies.
He wbo laves his wife laves himself.
After all , no one ever hated his own
body, but he feeds and cares for it,
just as Christ does the church."
What a world it would be if just
those verses were applied in mar–
riage!
If
just one husband who has
abused a wife reads this article and
sets his will to change, it will well be
worth the time and effort.
There is simply no excuse at any
time and for any reason for a man to
hit, kick, bruise and batter his
wife-or any woman or chi ld.
Peter admonished husbands: " In
the same way be considerate as you
live with your wives, and treat them
with respect as the weaker [pbysi–
cally] partner andas heirs with you
of the gracious gift of life, so that
nothing will hinder your prayers" (I
Pet. 3:7).
When God created mankind in
his own image he made Adam, the
man, first. But Adam was not com–
plete-he was only half there. God
permitted him to experience, for a
few hours, what it was like to be
alone. In all the animal kingdom
there was not a suitable companion
for Adam.
So God caused a deep sleep to fall
u pon him and made the first
woman, Eve, from his own bone and
flesh. Together they could lave,
share, reproduce. Apart from each
other they were unable to accom–
plish any of these.
Woman was not made a subspe–
cies. A lesser creature. A property
to be dragged about by a hank of
hair.
In all human history there has not
been a society, ancient or modern,
that has fully understood the plain
truth. Satan has deceived them all.
With God's help though, you can
understand.
Husbands and wives should never
abuse one another, their children or
their parents. Their intentions and
desire should be one of constant
love-growing love-and the estab–
lishment and maintenance of a
strong family headed by a loving
husband and father who guides his
responsive family.
Then and only then will there be
no secret sins of battered wives and
children cowering for fear behind
closed doors.
When God's ways are practiced,
fami ly dignity and love abound. lt's
the only way that wi ll ever
work. o
The
PLAIN TRUTH