In recent times, the media has been awash with stories, songs, movies and the like that present a twisted view of marriage. Same-sex marriage appears to be hottest topic trending on all media platforms. It’s no longer news that the US Supreme Court legalised same-sex marriage across all American states. In other news, we hear that Germany’s National Ethics Council recently called for an end to the criminalisation of incest between siblings and that a Japanese court ruled that extramarital affairs are alright, so long as they’re done for business purposes.

Our culture is being re-defined. We are seeing a new normal around us adopted by celebrities and popular world figures and promoted by the media. I see that the world in which my children would grow up as teens and adults would be significantly different from the one I have spent some decades in.

I reckon that the journey ahead for the Christian who would want to keep being a Christian would be quite tough and trying. He or she would need to pack relevant items for survival as though he or she were going on an expedition for the first time. But every Christian who knows the Bible would know that the Saviour already told us what the outlook of the world would be like at the end of times. So there really is no need to press the panic button. What we would do is access our knowledge cache and fortify ourselves and the generations responsible to us to be able to handle the challenges around us.

We, particularly fathers, have the responsibility to make sure our children are grounded in the Word of God. The only way to identify counterfeit currency notes is to be very familiar with the original ones. The only way to detect a lie is to fully know the truth. The truth is found in God’s Word. We should read the Word of God and be able to give answers from the Bible to questions on contemporary issues. We also need to encourage our children to read the Word of God themselves. They should be encouraged to ask questions. Give them the right answers even if it means you have to do a little more research before answering them. This is better than leaving them to get answers from the wrong places.

I also recommend that we tap into valuable related resources around us for helpful stuff. You can find good ones online. I found some from Focus on the family which you can access here.

We should encourage our children to love other people and see them as God sees them – as His children. He hates the actions of those who go against His dictates but He still loves them anyway. Our children should be encouraged to do the same but to do so standing for the truth of God’s word.

We must protect the heart of marriage as we know it and the principles that define it. We must uphold the values of lifelong commitment, selfless love and mutual deference under God’s instituted authority. We cannot speak against gay marriage while our marriages lie on the edge of divorce or are ravaged by the evil fires of adultery and pornography. When this is the case, we become hypocrites and lose our credence and honour to defend the truth and speak against gay marriage or other perverted forms of relationship.

Surround yourself and family with the right company. Walk with families that share the same beliefs and faith with you. Always return to your company for encouragement and support. This is what the disciples did to weather the persecution storms they faced. Acts 4:23-33

One of the greatest pieces of heritage we can pass on to the next generation is a faith that is unadulterated and that is not defined by the spirit of the age. This is our responsibility deserving of a good report and a ‘well done, thou faithful servant’.

The One who has seen the end knows we can make it successfully to the end.

Selah.