From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

God intended for the home to be a family’s foundation, a place of security. The family is the most important institution in the world. It was God’s idea, and He ordained it. It was not the idea of sociologists. Families and homes existed before cities and governments, before written language, nations, temples, churches.

God meant for the home to be a place where character and attitudes were formed, integrity born, and values made clear. These are attributes that last a lifetime.

People today have grown accustomed to wringing their hands with fear and insecurity, caring more about what happens on Wall Street or in Washington, D.C. We bring our anxieties into the home, adding to the tensions the world brings to life.

The prophet Nehemiah recorded, “There is so much rubbish that we are not able to build” (Nehemiah 4:10). We see rubbish everywhere—rubbish on our televisions, on digital devices, in the literature, and in magazines that poke fun at the idea of traditional home experience. These things break down the walls of a home. The institution of the home once fortified society. A popular personality was asked about the institution of marriage and home. She responded, “Who wants to live in an institution?” This is typical of the ridicule that has been heaped on the home.

Satan’s attacking the family as never before. What should our defenses against such attacks be? If families would return to God and make Him the focus of the home and the heart of the family, reading the Bible that brings comfort in turmoil and light to dark pathways, the nation would begin to rebuild on a sure foundation. “Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established” (Proverbs 24:3).

(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)

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