Wednesday, August 24, 2016

The Journey Continues for Those Without Restoration





Someone recently commented on one of my posts and reminded me of a sobering truth. Although God's grace is sufficient for us, His power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). 

My blog examines our humanity, in that we are extremely weak and vulnerable. The partner who has been betrayed, feels crushed, weak, and completely shattered on the inside. 

The partner who has done the betrayal is also weak. They felt worthless before the infidelity ever began. They followed fleeting feelings in order to patch over deep holes and wounds on the inside. Some of those wounds span all the way back to their childhood. 

The point is, both parties involved are weak for different reasons. 

When a spouse chooses forgiveness, it isn't that they have some kind of superhuman strength. What they are displaying is the amazing grace given to humanity through the unimaginable compassion of Christ Jesus. That gift was given to us before we were even aware of it. That grace is sufficient to redeem us into a beautiful relationship with our Heavenly Father.

The person's comment that I mentioned above, talked about what happens when the relationship isn't restored. They put the reminder out there that even though my wife and I have been restored, not every relationship will end up with the same results. While that is true, I do not want to focus on that option for more than a brief moment. My goal and purpose is to point out the best possibilities. I want to give you hope! Not false hope, but genuine hope that forgiveness and restoration are possible through Christ Jesus.

I'm not painting a pretty picture with my relationship. I'm giving you a snapshot of what my wife and I have been through, and what we still face as we continue forward. There is hope for any situation. Remember, I said and did terrible things. In addition to cheating on her, I told my wife that I hated her, that I never loved her, and I filed for divorce. Even though those words were untrue, I did not believe that my heart could ever change or soften. If you've been a skeptic of miracles in today's world, just take a look at my heart. I am living proof that miracles do happen. 

That being said, the comment on my post reminded those who end up facing divorce, that in spite of the heart-wrenching pain, they should still continue to seek God. As 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, "His power is made perfect in our weakness." I agree fully. If you have sought forgiveness (or sought to forgive), prayed for your spouse, and done everything in your power to save your marriage, but your relationship is not restored, continue to pursue God. Even though your spouse might have abandoned the marriage, God has not abandoned you at all.

Remember, God says,

"...'never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' So we say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?'" (Hebrews 13:5-6)