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Be a Beacon

Matthew 5:14 asks us to see ourselves
as “the light of the world.” Rather than
isolating and insulating ourselves from the
world, Christian families need to reach out
to others in the community. We need to
see ourselves as beacons in a troubled
world. If we are pessimistic, we will feel
overwhelmed by the negative forces
operating in the world today. If we are
optimistic, we will work with the church
to offer constructive ways to thwart

cultural deterioration. In that way, we will

bring hope to the hopeless.

Stay Healthy as a Family

Work to ensure the health of your

family. This may involve family therapy to

deal with issues from the past and to help

you gain strategies to deal with the future.

Sometimes this means accepting things

that cannot be changed in order to move

forward into the future.

Epilogue

This book marks the end of a journey

and what we hope will be the beginning of

another.We have balanced our scientific

study of marriage and family with a

consideration of what it means to be a

covenant family—a family that honors

God’s call to make a difference in the

world. Now it is time for students to apply

these principles to real-world families.

Each of us is born to a family, our

family of origin. We have seen that

families can and do look “different” from

one another. Families vary in

composition, change over time, and

differ according to culture. We also have

seen that God’s design for marriage and

family is able to override these

variations. Certain “non-negotiables”

will ensure the stability of the family for

centuries to come.

Christian families can be salt and

light. Keep your humor, keep an

optimistic outlook, and, above all, keep

your faith. Christians know that

ultimately God is in control. God created

us in His image. He put us into families

because He knows we thrive on close,

personal relationships. This God—who

cares enough to provide us with families

for our own joy and comfort—will

certainly make sure that family as a social

institution survives, no matter what

obstacles the future may bring. Our job is

to work with God to make it happen.

Conclusion