CartConversations: Tempted to Stray
Anonymous:
I am a Christian with deep faith and a real love for the Lord. However, for the past seven years, I have been in a very difficult and trying marriage. The gift is that the marriage produced two beautiful children, whom I love dearly. But I have been unhappy with my marriage for a long time, and have gotten to the point where I am no longer in love with my husband. Yet I feel I should stay in the marriage, in part for the children, in part because I have no scriptural grounds for divorce. I long for a relationship with someone with whom I can be best friends, in life and in ministry. My relationship with my husband is a far cry from this. To make matters more difficult, I have become friends with—and now fallen in love with—someone who exactly fits the bill. What can I/should I do? I don't want to violate God's laws, but I also want to be happy, and I want my children to grow up in an environment where love and communication and friendship make up a marriage. I don't want them to duplicate what their father and I have, just because that's all they know. Thanks in advance for your response.
Ruth:
As you imagine, I could flood you with Bible verses, but I assume someone has already done that—or you have done that yourself. I cannot affirm the direction you're headed even apart from biblical admonitions. Just on a very practical level, the perfect man who understands you and wants to "be best friends in life and ministry" is never the one he/she appears to be.
Instead of going through all the relevant Scripture, I will point you to a film (one my step-daughter finds very un-Christian). The film is "The Bridges of Madison County." I think the story very nearly fits your case and it should be watched and absorbed by anyone in your circumstances.
God be with you.
God Talk
Ruth Tucker is not afraid to ask the question, "Does God speak?" And her answer might surprise you. She urges caution in speaking about hearing God. She offers us a new paradigm for viewing silence and prayer. Rather than feeling inferior when we don't hear God speak, she helps us lean more deeply on his silent, Spirit-inspired Word. [Learn More]