Good News Florida

GoodNewsFL.org 43 NOVEMBER 2017 ENCOURAGEMENT Are you involved? If you are currently com- mitting adultery against your spouse, confess and repent of your sin to God. Also confess this sin to your spouse, and end that adulterous relation- ship. Seek counseling to help you get back on the right track. Don’t delay; act today! You cannot build a good marriage on a lie. Most spouses can forgive adultery if it is freely confessed and re- pented of before any evi- dence is found. Admitting your sin might not be easy, but this act of honesty is the only way to re- store sanity to your life. If we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from unrighteous- ness because of the sacrifice of Christ Jesus (1 John 1:8- 10). Admit what you have done and make it right. While this is wise and truthful, it will not be easy. As Mona Shiver shares, “we all have those moments that some call ‘suddenlys’ – moments that forever change the path of our lives. That mo- ment for my husband and me happened on a cold January evening in 1993. Gary came home and confessed to a three-year adulterous affair. What followed that confession is a blur of pain and confusion that some counselors liken to post traumatic stress syn- drome. Dr. Shirley Glass, au- thor of Not Just Friends, tells us that according to therapists who treat couples, infidelity is the second most difficult rela- tionship problem, surpassed only by domestic violence. The point is this: adultery is undeniably an overwhelming issue that requires additional resources for the couple at- tempting to recover.” (Mona Shriver, from the book Un- faithful —Rebuilding Trust After Infidelity) You must be ready to commit to a marathon of work to reconcile and restore your marriage. It takes about two years for most marriages to recover from an affair. What can you do to make things better if you have com- mitted adultery? 1. Take full responsibility. 2. Recognize the need for spiritual renewal and revival since the fact that you com- mitted adultery is a clear sign your soul is a mess. The act of adultery is only the fruit of an unbelieving and rebellious heart. Seek help to get your inner world straightened out. 3. Do not minimize or lie about the details of an affair. 4. Focus on the pain of your spouse and not on how hard this is for you. Get sepa- rate counseling to help you deal with your struggle, but don’t expect the spouse you cheated on to be an emo- tional support for you while you are working through this. 5. Commit to a year of regular marital counseling. Do you think your spouse is having an affair? 1. Don’t deny the facts or your feelings. 2. Don’t confront your spouse until you have thought through what you will do if they admit they are having an affair. Get counseling to pre- pare you for the confrontation. What to do once you know your spouse has been unfaithful? 1. Be open to staying or leaving to make the best deci- sion based on their attitude, the details of the affair and the overall hope you have of rec- onciliation. 2. Don’t make a decision to divorce too quickly, but rather give yourself time for careful consideration and prayer. Get personal counsel- ing on this issue. 3. A structured separation in which the unfaithful spouse demonstrates the fruit of re- pentance, remorse and pas- sion for reconciliation is sometimes helpful. 4. If there is no repen- tance or even a sincere prom- ise that your spouse will not be unfaithful again, you will have little choice but to leave the relationship. 5. Seek your own spiritual renewal and revival. Draw near to God in the gospel of grace in Christ Jesus. Many marriages survive infidelity if there is real repen- tance and a desire to recon- cile. Denying adultery does not solve anything. Hope is found in facing the facts and seeking a revival of faith and faithfulness. For more information on how to deal with infidelity in marriage, go to www.affair- recovery.com . Dr. Norman Wise is the Executive Director of Living Water Christian Counseling and host of “Ask the Coun- selor” on GraceNetRadio.com. Living Water can be reached at 954-726-2303. Ԣ 5HORFDWLRQ Ԣ %HKLQG LQ SD\PHQW Ԣ +RXVH 1HHGV 5HSDLU Ԣ 1R DSSUDLVDO Ԣ 1R FORVLQJ FRVWV Ԣ 1R FRVWO\ GHOD\V Ԣ ,QKHULWDQFH Ԣ 'LYRUFH Ԣ )RUHFORVXUH %UXFH 5DFNPLO 5HDO (VWDWH 3URIHVVLRQDO LQWKHKRPHUHDOW\#JPDLO FRP *22'1(:6 +(/3 ,6 +(5( :(:,// %8< <285+20( )25&$6+ +HOSLQJ SHRSOH EX\ DQG VHOO KRPHV ZLWK KRQHVW\ LQWHJULW\ 25 6(// <285+20( $70$5.(7 9$/8( ,Q WKH PXVLF PLQLVWU\ DW )LUVW %DSWLVW 3RPSDQR %HDFK 7KH /RUGV *LIW +RXVH ÎxÇÎ iiÀ Àii *>>`Õ ÀVi° iiÀvi` i>VÎÎ{{Ó