Divorce – God’s view
It has been a while since I penned down on the lesions learnt during my favourite Sunday services. Now, don’t judge, it is not because I have not attended church, but simply because I had not found anything inspiring to write about.
Today’s message was centered on parenting. Although am not a parent myself, I believe that there was a take away for each person who attended the church today.
The message started with Malachi 2:15, 15 which brought us to a notice that God makes a husband and a wife one body and spirit to have children who are truly God’s people. I guess this one statement is good enough to convey how responsible parents are ought to be when it comes to parenting the children. The message progressed around giving some very beautiful insights on bringing up children in the way that God wanted.
However, verse 16 caught my attention, although it was a different context. So, I just noted down and now as I read it clearly, I’m thrilled because my God doesn’t leave room for any confusion, even with the most contemporary topic. Yes, am talking about one of the most troubling problem that the world is facing now, even the Christian families – DIVORCE.
I’m reading in ‘Today’s English version’ and verse says “I hate divorce, says the Lord God of Israel”. It goes on an ever more emphatic way “I hate it when one of you does such a cruel thing to his wife. Make sure that you do not break your promise to be faithful to your wife”.
Friends, we certainly want to make sure we please God in everything we do. God clearly says that he hates break up in marriages. Sometimes, may be it seems that we cannot take one more day of the spouse. The rift in relationships is too wide and too hard to be covered. But, the word of God clearly instructs us to be faithful to wife.
I wanted to read more on the biblical view on marriage and divorce. So, I looked up in 1 Corinthians 7: 1-16.
Paul mentions in verse 10 that the Lord commands that a wife must not leave her husband. If she leaves, she either has to be single or reconcile with her husband. But the husbands do not have any choice. The bible clearly says in the end of verse 11 “a husband must not divorce his wife”.
It is interesting to note that Paul in all his wisdom writes that even if a person has a spouse who is an unbeliever, still he or she has to stay faithful in marriage if the other person chooses to. Attention: This is still not God speaking, but Paul writes from his experience. Friends, this is not a license to go around and marry unbelievers. Message is clear, it is applicable for people who have come to Christ after marriage and the spouse is not a believer yet. In that case also, if the unbeliever spouse to stay with the believer, in all faithfulness, we are bound to respect the marriage.
I’m planning to read more on this area and document my thoughts one this plague that is shattering many families. But for now, am glad that my God has a clear and uncompromising answer to life’s toughest questions.
