A marriage that’s damaged through infidelity. A public figure who betrays the trust of those they lead. A pastor caught in sexual or financial indiscretions. Is restoration possible? What does restoration look like? What does it take to be restored?
Every marriage experiences mess-ups. It’s easy to get caught up in shame, blame, and misery. But taking the necessary steps after a mess-up has the potential to make your marriage stronger. What you’re working toward is really creating a new marriage.
Marriage is the union of two sinners. You can be sure your spouse will mess up; that’s what sinners do. And the same goes for you. Whether you knew better or not, you will fail your husband or wife in some way, perhaps in many ways. So what do you do if you messed up in your marriage?
At some point you will have to deal with the matter of forgiveness. For people who are Christians or who know anything about Christianity, forgiveness is one of the central ideas, and one that often gets messed up. It’s helpful to consider what forgiveness is – and isn’t.
Among the possible sources of pain a spouse’s betrayal ranks as one of the worst. The person you expected to have your best interests at heart and stick with you through good and bad has let you down. Knowing or suspecting your spouse is cheating rocks your world.
