[Adesewa]

   
Pastor Adebola Ogunleye of the Foursquare Gospel Church on Sunday in Lagos said the rate of divorce among Christians was alarming . Delivering a sermon entitled , “ Maximizing Godly Impact for the Family” , the cleric said family strife was on the rise and urged brethren to address root causes of marriage problems leading to divorce .
“ Today , it is no longer news that pastors are beating up their wives and divorce has crept into the church . Divorce of convenience is what we see in the church today . It is becoming a vogue in church , which must stop ,” he said .
He called on couples to constantly review their relationships and correct all the wrongs , adding that they should also seek Godly counsel from church elders where there were bigger issues they could not handle alone . He also warned against wrong counsels and advised couples to guide against external influences that could cause trouble in the home and family .
He urged women to be submissive to their husbands and warned husbands to always love their wives and guide against ungodly ego that could affect harmony in marriage . He listed factors for having Godly homes to include , positive personal principles , proactive parenting and prayerfulness .
He said that each member of the family had a role to play , adding that they all needed to make personal decisions to make the home work. “ Parents need the principles of Godliness and holiness, children need to have that principle too,” he said .
The cleric urged couples to have positive influence on their children and serve as role models for a better family and society . He explained that Satan attacked the first family of Adam by causing hatred and division that led one of the children, Cain , to kill his brother , Abel .
He added that Satan was still attacking marriages and families till today and stressed the need for peace and harmony in the home to create a conducive atmosphere for raising Godly children.
“ We should not follow the world pattern of parenting , if your child is wearing his trousers like American prisoners and you pass it for fashion , it ’ s wrong. We must let our children know it should be God first , God last , God in between and God always . Teach them to know that God is not an option , God should be everything ,” he said .He said fathers should learn to be role models and not just those who give mandates . “ Children do much more of what they see us do than what we say ,” he said .
He called on the church to always organize constant inclusive programs to strengthen the family unit and reduce the rising rates of divorce .The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN ) reports that the cleric led couples with troubled marriages to pray for peace and regeneration of their homes . NAN further reports that the month of May was chosen by the Foursquare Gospel Church , Cement Zonal Headquarters, as its Family Month .