A cheater does not need to be a total monster in order to be bad for you. I suspect most cheaters (if not all) have some “redeeming” qualities about themselves. If they didn’t, we probably never would have married them in the first place. They are mix–like all of us–of good and bad traits. But … Continue reading “Bad enough for you to move on!”
Category: Theology of divorce
A Reminder: Not your shame to bear!
Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away [i.e. divorce her] privily. -Matthew 1:19, KJV If you grew up in a church where divorce was taught as always wrong, you may find it hard to NOT internalize divorce shame and stigma. … Continue reading “A Reminder: Not your shame to bear!”
What if the miracle IS the merciful divorce?
Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning…. -Job 42:12a, NKJV What if the divorce is the mercy or “miracle” you truly need? It feels blasphemous to even raise this question. However, I think it is a legitimate question. Sometimes, the divorce is the best of bad options for a faithful spouse. In fact, … Continue reading “What if the miracle IS the merciful divorce?”
Subtle blame of faithful spouses in churches
The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. Ezekiel 18:20a, NIV Sometimes church leaders subtly blame faithful spouses for a divorce from a cheater. I say that it is subtle because it almost … Continue reading “Subtle blame of faithful spouses in churches”
Sometimes the season dictates divorce.
For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. -Ecclesiastes 3:1, NLT Sometimes choosing divorce is the best of bad options left for a faithful spouse. This is why I cite this wisdom verse. It is allegedly written by the wisest of all humans–bar Jesus–King Solomon. Everything means everything. That includes … Continue reading “Sometimes the season dictates divorce.”
Cheater-Speak: “I don’t know if I can commit to our marriage.”
What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. Mattew 19:6b, KJV “I don’t know if I can commit to our marriage,” says Cheater revealing their contempt for God and their spouse. Keeping their vows before God apparently has a lower value to cheaters speaking this way than keeping their “options” open. … Continue reading “Cheater-Speak: “I don’t know if I can commit to our marriage.””
Practical Theology Question: Can Cheaters Remarry?
“And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.” -Mark 10:12, NIV Can a cheater remarry? The simple answer to this question is “Yes.” However, the full answer is more complicated than that. It is like asking if a spouse can cheat? Yes, but… If the question is whether a … Continue reading “Practical Theology Question: Can Cheaters Remarry?”
Lysa TerKeurst Divorcing, Apparently
TerKeust, who has five children, said she believes the “wisest (and hardest) choice I can make is to stop fighting to save my marriage of 29 years and, instead, accept reality.” -from “Lysa TerKeurst announces divorce after battling to save marriage, standing ‘firm’ in faith despite pain” by Leah MarieAnn Klett in The Christian Post, Sunday, January … Continue reading “Lysa TerKeurst Divorcing, Apparently”
The merciful gift of divorce.
I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries. -Jeremiah 3:8, NIV I am grateful for the merciful gift of divorce. The mercy is for the faithful spouse. They are set free from the destructive path the cheater is hell-bent to follow to their ultimate spiritual destruction (see Hebrews … Continue reading “The merciful gift of divorce.”
Divorce grief and the community
Divorce impacts a community. Like the sin of adultery, it is not a private affair (see Deut. 22:22). The divorce hits the whole network of relationships. It is painful to face the reality that a couple is no longer a couple. This is doubly so when you like and connected with both spouses. This way of … Continue reading “Divorce grief and the community”