Have you ever thought of your relationship with God as a friendship? Not just Creator, Lord, Savior, or Redeemer, but friend? If that sounds a little strange to you, you're in good company. But what if the most important relationship you could ever build is one you've been underestimating all along?

Are you lonely? You might be, even if you're surrounded by people. We're living in what's being called a "loneliness epidemic," and the statistics are staggering. But more than the statistics, I think most of us feel that ache for someone who really knows us, not just the polished version we put online. So what does it actually take to build the kind of friendships that go deeper than a Facebook "like"? And why does it matter so much?

What is it that makes the devil mad? What is it that is truly encroaching on his kingdom? It's not the street preacher on the corner yelling at people. It's not people going through the motions of religious rituals. Here's what makes the devil mad: a family that honors God with all their hearts. A marriage that lasts a lifetime. Children being brought up to become champions of God's work of love down through the years. That's what threatens him. And that's exactly why building a faith-filled family is one of the most important things you will ever do.

Our culture sends completely contradictory messages about marriage. On one hand, we're told that romantic love is the ultimate goal of life. We need to find someone who will "complete" us and make all our dreams come true. On the other hand, when marriage doesn't deliver that fairy tale happiness, we're told it's disposable. We need to start by understanding God's purpose for marriage before we can talk about how to build a better one.