A House Divided - Crosswalk Couples Devotional - July 9
A House Divided
By Michelle Lazurek
From now on, there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two, and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” Luke 12:52-53
When my husband and I were first married, we lived in the apartment attached to my in-laws’ house. My mother-in-law, with the best of intentions, would often come into the apartment unannounced. She would carry on a conversation, ask for something, etcetera. While we understood it was her house, it became clear that it had happened so often. I talked to my husband and asked him if we could set some boundaries with her so that she would honor our privacy, and we would also have time to enjoy her company. My husband locked the apartment's front door, so she'd have to knock before coming in.
It did the trick, and she stopped coming in so often. However, when we opened the adjacent door on their side of the house, we found it was also locked. She had locked the door on us. It was apparent we were divided against each other. This led us to pray about it and then talk with her about what this could look like, including setting boundaries and honoring each other's privacy. The conversation mended four broken fences, and we lived in harmony once again.
Jesus promised that he, too, came to bring division. While many people think of Jesus as a gentle hippie who was there only to spread love and good cheer, Jesus claimed he was the opposite. In the passage above, he claimed he did not come to bring peace but division. This is because some people will follow Jesus, and others won't. Many families have members who don't believe in Jesus, while others do.
Satan hates marriages and families. He'll do whatever he can to break them up. This means there may be family members who don't claim to know the Lord. This can devastate and divide family members. Challenging conversations and prayers are sometimes needed to restore harmony within the family.
Do you have family members who don't love Jesus the way you do? Do they ask you not to talk about your faith or Jesus in their presence because they're so convinced of the life they're living? It's OK to have questions and doubts about God. Everyone, at some point in their life, has questions about God's existence.
This is especially true if a tragedy has struck a family. The loss of a loved one or the death of someone after a prolonged illness, even after family members have prayed, can cause people to doubt and question if God even cares about them. These questions can slowly lead people to stop believing in God.
Although we can expect Jesus to bring peace to division within our households, there are things we can do to achieve and maintain peace in our homes. Romans 12:18 says, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Have the hard conversations. Pray for those with whom you are divided. Let unbelieving family members discuss their doubts and questions regarding God.
There are often emotional needs and hurts behind their lack of assurance about God. Do what you can to listen and accept people right where they are. Even if you don't agree with their disappointments or hurts, help people to know they are accepted, loved, and cherished just as they are. Meeting people in their pain is one of the main ways to repair divisions and restore harmony in our families.
Father, let us seek to achieve and maintain peace without being divided. Where there is division within our family, let us do what we can to help repair it. Let us talk with each other, accept each other, and make people feel loved and cherished. Let our love and acceptance of people be how we become peacemakers in our families. Amen.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/izkes
Related Resource: Why Couples Drift and How to Reverse It
What happens when a marriage starts drifting apart — and one or both spouses wonder if it’s even possible to reconnect? If you’ve ever felt discouraged, lonely, unseen, or unsure whether your marriage can recover, this conversation offers practical wisdom and genuine hope.
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