Infidelity. Cheating. Affair. Adultery.
Not uncommon words in our society. Possibly not uncommon in our life experience.
One set of statistics I looked at claimed 30 to 60 percent of marriages have at least one partner who has been involved in an extramarital affair.
Extramarital. Even the word doesn’t make sense.
Marriage is a covenant between a man and a woman; a husband and wife. The oath of the covenant, the marriage vows, stipulates each party will love, honor, and protect the other; no matter what circumstances may arise.
To protect is to guard against an intruder, an interloper. Which would include someone trying to drive a wedge between the husband and wife.
“So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” (Matthew 19:6 ESV)
“Let not man (or woman) separate…”
Why would a person, man or woman, allow someone to break up their marriage?
Oh, I’m sure you’ve heard the excuses, er, uh, I mean, the reasons why.
In case you haven’t, here are a few:
“He works all the time…”
“She’s not as attractive as she used to be…”
“My husband doesn’t understand me like ______ does…”
“She makes me feel young again…”
“He’s so tender and kind, and loves me like my husband used to…”
“My wife nags me all the time! _______ is so much fun to be around…”
No man ever leaves his wife for another woman because his wife isn’t pretty enough or sexy enough.
Women don’t jump up and take another woman’s husband just because it was “love at first sight”.
If a man has wandering eyes, it’s because he has a wandering heart. Same thing with a woman who has problems honoring the covenant with her husband.
The wandering heart is an unguarded heart. It’s a heart that really hasn’t committed itself to a “for better or worse” covenant relationship.
The wandering heart hasn’t disciplined it’s eyes, ears, mind, or hands to faithfully love only one person.
If my eyes look at other women, even as “eye candy”, my heart is unguarded. It’s shod with wandering shoes; it only needs an opportunity.
If I allow another woman to speak to me as only my wife should, again, my heart’s getting ready to wander.
Unprotected thoughts, curious thoughts that take us to forbidden places lead the way for the wandering heart.
The wandering heart is a lying heart. It always wants to shift the blame for its infidelity to someone else, or to some other reason. It despises the truth.
Truth is what the wandering heart needs for protection, or for restoration.
If you’ve ever had your spouse tell you you’re no longer good enough, please understand this truth; you will never be “good enough” to compete with a wandering heart.
Don’t beat yourself up.
Rather, let the peace of God rule in your heart. Protect your heart with the truth of God’s word. And trust Him for a miracle.
That your man/woman will be delivered from the wandering heart.
Jan Grace 