Faith Filled Family Magazine January 2017 | Page 16

only place it should lie in . There is a reason they are called an “ ex .” Ex means former or no longer , and that is the status of this person in your life , now . God did not include them in your present for a reason , therefore , you mustn ’ t welcome them into your future . The past is a good place for them . Learn from that relationship , grow from it , but as you are now married , refuse to entertain it .
Although a friendship with a former love may seem harmless , it is inevitably harmful . You may say , “ You don ’ t know our situation , though ,” and that is true .
I don ’ t . But what I do know regardless the person , regardless the relationship , regardless the love , and regardless the breakup , a friendship with an ex is never appropriate for a married man or woman . Although I may not know your specific situation , I also do not know any situation in which such dynamics would work .
It boils down to the good old golden rule : Do unto others as you would have them do to you . We may seem to believe that our specific friendship is different , that it wouldn ’ t be the same if our husband or wife was friends with their ex , but regardless of the situation , there are no double standards in marriage . As we would not want our spouse to remain friends with an ex from their past , we too must remain respectful to both God and our spouse and accept that as the standards of marriage .
God intended the sanctity of marriage to be confined to one man , one woman , and Himself . We must always be careful to honor this union by keeping the confines of our relationships to what God has intended them to be .