When Jenny Sanford announced that she had chosen to forgive her husband and work on their marriage, the press went wild. The world began to smirk. They didn't know what to do with forgiveness in the face of infidelity and so they mocked her decision.
This morning I watched a panel that included a psychologist discussing the probability of reconciliation between the governor and his wife. All the learned panel members chimed in about what is possible and what is not. At best, they could only conceive of a relationship built on gut determination to make things work for the sake of the children. True forgiveness and healing were not even words in their vocabulary.
This situation with the governor of South Carolina has impressed upon me once again how little the world understands about the heart of God and how very little they know of His power. And once again it has confirmed in my heart that one of the greatest witnesses we can give on this earth is to stand for the healing of our marriage.
The world is accustomed to hearing sermons and can many times quote scripture right along with believers, but when confronted with forgiveness and total trust in the Lord for a relationship as important as marriage, the world is baffled. A marriage as wounded as Gov. Sanford's can only be healed by the power of God. Gut determination may keep people together for a season to accomplish a goal, such as keep the family together for the children, but in the end the marriage usually breaks up once the goal is accomplished. Gut determination does nothing to change hearts.
Too often the world has observed the believers reacting the same way the world does when confronted with marital crisis. Leaving a spouse because of infidelity is the world's way and far too often, the Church's as well. When we act like the world, the world has no problem understanding. They even applaud the decision. After all, it is what they would do.
When we walk in faith, though, the world is without explanation. They think we are crazy or weak or living in a fantasy world. They mock what they cannot comprehend. "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" 1 Corinthians 1:18.
As we look across our nation today, believers are ridiculed, mocked, and even attacked when we stand up for what we believe. A war is being waged to silence us all together. Preaching means little if our lives don't line up with the Word of God. I truly believe that it is the manifestation of the power of God that will show the world He is real. When that power is manifest through His love and compassion, the world will be astonished. Just like the Philippian jailer in Acts 16, they will ask, "What must I do to be saved?"
Every time someone chooses to stand for their marriage, to trust God for healing and reconciliation, the world sees one more example of the heart of a believer. Once more the world is confronted with faith they cannot fathom and forgiveness they cannot muster. I don't personally believe there is any greater witness to the power of God than faithfulness in the face of unfaithfulness. The world can only recommend moving on and finding someone new. The believer who is standing sends out a clear message that there is a better way.
I pray that Mark and Jenny Sanford are surrounded with believers who will support them as they heal. I pray that Jenny especially has believers around her who hold her arms up in the battle for her marriage and family. Even as the world mocks, they are watching. May the Church stand firmly behind this couple and speak words of life to them. And as you stand and believe for your own marriage, please pray for Mark and Jenny as well.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 2 Corinthians 1:3,4
2 comments:
Dear Marilyn,
I've been meaning to respond to your posting for a while and I had it saved in My Favourites, as I wanted to add a confirmation of the world is watching when you least expect.
During my husband's and my journey of restoration after separation and divorce and remarriage(having now been fully restored for nearly ten years - ALL GLORY TO HIM!), we had many non-believing friends fascinated by what He was doing - and we found they could not deny it as they had seen for themselves the journey we had been through. It was funny, we actually had more non-believers at our 2nd wedding than that our Christian friends! So we continue to find that it is an ongoing testimony of God's great love in us and through us.
God bless you & your family & ministry.
Yours in Christ
Liz
-for The Watenes
www.twiceuponalifetime.com
Dear Marilyn,
My husband was a church leader and business leader. We have 12 children together. Amazingly enough, I discovered how many adulterers were in our church as a result of his betrayal of me, the children and the body having given sermons, communion, counsel and prayer during his 4 year emotional and physical affair with a business associate. They are now married and the persons who profess Christ yet are adulterers are the voices who cheer them on. One of these couples is a woman and her father in law who had an affair while the mother in law was terminally ill then married because he was a widow.
The church is SICK and full of deception due to partnering with the world. Oh, we need the belt of truth and the sword of the Spirit!!The world is able to see the sickness and perversion of this church but the church walks in a veil of deception. Over and over the world is appalled at the lack of integrity of these persons who accepted the adulterers and dishonored the faithful wives.
My husband divorced me to marry the promiscuous woman who was a fund raising genius for an international ministry started by the pastors. The assistant pastor has done the same. Both divorced in Fall of 2008 and remarried their other women in Spring/early Summer of 2009. The senior pastor even stood as best man for the assistant pastor in his European wedding.
Oh, the grief of the Father.
So good to hear the stories of restoration!! So wonderful to be encouraged by the life giving words of the Lord as you share. God bless you!
Melissa
Washington state
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