Craig Clouston

 Fidelity

July 14

He who loves his wife loves himself.

Ephesians 5:28

“Flirting, however harmless you might feel about it, is still being unfaithful to Gretchen,” Cal said. “It’s a temptation to take it a step further. Yes, it can make you feel alive. It wouldn’t be tempting if it didn’t. But it’s wrong, Randy. Gretchen deserves better. So do you.”

“But I don’t feel in love anymore,” Randy argued. “This other woman makes me feel appreciated and understood. I don’t get that from Gretchen. I’m tired of going through the motions.”

“You know, Randy, Patty and I felt the same way years ago. We’d lost the spark, and it felt too much like work to pretend. But we stuck it out and allowed God to lead us through counseling where we found out things had begun to overshadow our love; we’d stopped communicating.

“Randy, when someone of the opposite sex pays attention to us in a way our spouse hasn’t, we can easily form an unhealthy emotional bond. It feels right, and it tempts us to give up in spite of the covenant we made. You’ve got to fight the temptation,” Cal urged.

“How’d you get through it?” Randy asked.

“With a lot of work in God’s strength, and understanding that issues will always raise themselves up to assault our marriage. We fought for what we knew was right. And in the fighting, we learned that our love hadn’t died; it had become bogged down by the issues we faced.”

†

No-fault divorce, disillusionments, and annulments are easily granted and too widely accepted. “If you aren’t happy, move on,” we say, putting our happiness ahead of our spouse, our children, and our commitment.

Marriage is meant to be forever, not until we get tired.

Fidelity is standing in God’s strength instead of our own, holding ground not meant to be given up. It’s where integrity is discovered and selfish ambitions are laid to rest.

Fifty percent of today’s marriages end in divorce. Statistics say that eighty percent of those who remarry will divorce again. You will take each unattended issue wherever you go. Great reward can come from not giving in to selfish desires. Stay and fight for what God ordained.

Prayer

“Weld my marriage to You, Lord. Help us stand and fight instead of giving in to the temptations of infidelity. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”