Dear Auntie Agony,

My parents are getting a divorce. It makes me really sad, and also, kind of worried. If your parents break up, does that mean there’s more chance for you to get a divorce, too, when get married?

I’m sorry about your parents divorce. Divorce is hard. In the book of Malachi, the Bible says that God hates divorce. I’ll bet that if you ask anyone who has ever been involved in a divorce – man, woman or child – they would say that they hate divorce, too. All people marry with the intention of staying together.

Because our world isn’t heaven it’s full of both health and sickness, purity and sin, giving and selfishness. We all struggle to make right decisions. Some of the choices people make hurt their spouse so much that the hurt person rightfully asks for a divorce. Other people make wrong decisions to divorce. Some people are divorced when they don’t want to be. Most of the time its a complicated situation.

Most parents want their kids to grow up to be wiser, stronger, and happier than they are. because of this, your parents will not want you to undergo the pain of a divorce, even if they are divorced themselves. Reassure your parents of your love and then ask them, “What can I do to avoid getting divorced when I grow up?” They will share their experiences in this area so that you can make the best choices possible. Just because your parents got a divorce doesn’t mean you have to. You can learn from their experiences, you can get Godly counsel. God can take something that was painful for your parents and family and use it to prepare you for your future. He can give you skills and insight that perhaps they didn’t have.

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purposes for them. Romans 8:28 NLT