Take Your Marital Vows Seriously
But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman also commits adultery. (Matthew 5:32)
I am fully aware of the unhappiness in many marriages. Having served in the pastorate for many years and having spent untold hours with fellow preachers, there are not many stories I haven’t heard. While I am certainly not one whose position is so rigid I would never see a reason for divorce, I must express my grave concern over the tragic erosion of marital fidelity I have witnessed during the past several decades.
My plea is that couples take their marriage vows far more seriously . . . that they see their vows as a lifelong commitment to one another, “for better or for worse,” because there is a lot of both! I realize my conservative position is not news to anyone who knows me well, but if it helps hold even one couple together, it will have been worth my repeating the obvious: Marriage is for life. Let’s make it last!
If it will help, return to those initial beatitudes Jesus spoke and apply them to marriage. Remember those blessings our Lord gave to the gentle, the poor in spirit, the merciful, and several other groups of great-hearted souls?
An unfaithful mate may give you the right to seek divorce, but you’re not obligated to exercise that right. Remember, divorce is a God-given concession, not a command. Before you yield to a divorce, I suggest one simple exercise: Review what you vowed when you got married.
Taken from Simple Faith by Charles R. Swindoll. Copyright © 1991, 2003 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. Used by permission of HarperCollins Christian Publishing. www.harpercollinschristian.com
