Faith Filled Family Magazine August 2016 | Page 56

HEADED FOR

DIVORCE
COURT?
Is there hope for

Reconciliation?

By Charlaine Martin

M

ichael*, an executive
in a large corporation and a Christian,
was suddenly told by his wife,
“I want a divorce. I don’t love
you anymore.” He urged her
to go to a Christian counselor with him to work things
out. Finally, after several sessions of marriage counseling,
she insisted she did not love
him anymore. She wanted
out. With much anguish, he

relented. It was over. This scenario plays out churches more
often than we realize. Marriage, a lifelong relationship
between a man and woman,
is now being treated as disposable instead of what God
intended. If one party wants a
divorce, is the marriage able
to be restored?
Marriages do not always end
happily ever after, even for
Christians. Sadly, many die
a painful death. According
to 2014 statistics, 35% bornagain Christian marriages end
in divorce. It’s not much different from those who claim
no religious affiliation at all.
If marriage is supposed to be
“until death do us part”, then
why are Christian couples
calling it quits instead reconciling th e marriage? There are
some considerations to take
into account before heading
to a lawyer’s office.

ried have a Christian husband
or wife. Some Christians fall in
love with non-Christians and
tie the knot, even though God
warns us to not be unequally
yoked with an unbeliever (2
Corinthians 6:14). Stresses
build up in the marriage early
because each one’s religious

or philosophical teachings
determine how priorities are
set and decisions are made,
which clash in time. The differences become glaring after a
while. When tensions build to
the point of explosion for the
couple, there is no guarantee the non-Christian spouse
will value the marriage as
much as the Christian. If the
unbeliever wants to stay in
the relationship, the Bible
says the Christian should
not divorce. But if unbeliever
wants to leave, then let them
Not all Christians who are mar- go. Living in peace rests on