Billy Graham Gives Advice to Single Moms
The Rev. Billy Graham is offering up some sage advice for single mothers.
In his latest syndicated advice column published in the Kansas City Star, Graham responds to a question from a single mother of two who is unsure about whether or not she should allow her boyfriend to move in with her because she doesn't know if he is really committed to helping raise her children.
Graham responds with his typical farsighted wisdom and advises the woman that allowing her boyfriend to move in would set a bad example for her children.
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"As they grow older do you honestly want them to live the same way you have?" he questions. "I doubt it." The evangelist then warns her that she would be worsening her problems by cohabitating with her boyfriend.
The founder of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association adds that while it might be tempting to "seek help wherever you can find it," living with her boyfriend would not be the proper way to go and she could even put her children "at risk of neglect or even abuse."
This woman is not alone in her dilemma. Thirty-six percent of American mothers in the U.S., ages 15 to 50, are single, according to U.S. Census Bureau findings in 2014. That includes mothers who were widowed, divorced or never married. In 2013 there were 7 million unmarried-partner households.
Graham tries to encourage the woman, writing, "God loves you. He loves you so much that He doesn't want you to continue seeking happiness in wrong ways, ways that will only bring you trouble. This is why God commands us to avoid sexual relationships outside of marriage."
The renowned preacher quotes Hebrews 13:4: "Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral."
The evangelist advises his seeker that her most important decision is to give her life to Christ.
"Ask Him to come into your life today, and then ask Him to give you the courage to turn your back on the past and begin following Him," he writes.
Graham very frequently encourages his audience to give their lives to Christ. In one of his previous posts, the evangelist urged readers to trust in Christ and that doing so will bring confidence and peace.
"... as we commit our lives to Christ and learn to trust Him in every situation. Then we can honestly say with the Psalmist, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust,'" (Psalm 91:2).
