Leaving Your Spouse

I command the married - not I but the Lord - a wife is not to leave her husband. But if she does leave, she must remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband - and a husband is not to leave his wife.
 
But I - not the Lord- say to the rest: If any brother has an unbelieving wife and she is willing to live with him, he must not leave her. Also, if any woman has an unbelieving husband and he is willing to live with her, she must not leave her husband. For the unbelieving husband is set apart for God by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is set apart for God by the husband. Otherwise your children would be corrupt, but now they are set apart fro God. But if the unbeliever leaves, let him leave. A brother or sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you to live in peace.
For you, wife, how do you know whether you will save your husband? Or you, husband, how do you know you will save your wife? ICor 7:10-16
 
When Paul gives the first instruction, it obviously must consider the Lord's command in Matthew 19:9 which states: whoever leaves his wife and marries another, except for sexual immorality, commits adultery.
 
There are still only two scriptural reasons for separation and divorce: Unfaithfulness and unbelievers leaving believers. Obviously there are many reasons to leave, abuse being a very big one.
 
We are too keen to leave and find another spouse, not willing to give God room to move. We demonstrate unbelief ourselves and are unwilling to bring grace and truth into our lives. Giving God room to move gives Him the ability to speak to each of us and reveal truth previously hidden. Rushing on into another relationship, whilst it might satisfy temporarily, can lead to further destruction.
 
Our lives would be so much better for waiting and allowing God. So many broken things could be fixed, if only we weren't impatient.
 
So, the message for today is, wait on God, find His mind and His truth and don't be too quick to move into another relationship or you might just be repeating your folly and also create a gulf between you and your former spouse, your children, the extended family and more importantly your God.
 
 

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