06 May 2008

11 Days ... The Lord hates Divorce

Divorce is something I fear.

My dad was divorced before he married my mother. My sister divorced her first husband only a few years into their marriage. My brother-in-law was divorced before he married my sister. All three of my uncles are/were divorced. Both of my best friends growing up are now divorced. My sweet friends that are more like family were both divorced multiple times before marrying each other. It's everywhere I look!

James and I have made the committment that no matter how hard things may get, divorce will not be the answer. Why not give up when the going gets touch? The Lord hates divorce (Malachi 2:16). Divorce damages the symbolism of the gospel that marriage is supposed to mirror (Husbands loving their Wives as Christ loves the Church and Wives submitting to their Husbands as the Church submits to Christ).

Recently, I've read Gary Thomas' Sacred Marriage and it's theme is that marriage wasn't designed by God to make you happy but to make you holy. This holiness is accomplished through the struggles of marriage that lead you to trust in God's faithfulness more, allow God to develop selflessness and patience in you and teaches you to love your spouse unconditionally as Christ as loved us. It's an outlook on marriage that many don't have, and I pray that when times are tough--that James and I will see it as an opportunity to grow in our faith and stick it out rather than give in to the temptation to give up.

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