I’ve always been amazed at people who can enter a dilapidated, falling down house and see the potential. They can already see in their mind what the house could look like with some love, elbow grease and sometimes...months and months (maybe even years!) of work. They know it will be a lot of work to restore this home, but it will be worth it in the end when they can enjoy the fruit of their labor. I do not have that ability…but I sure wish I did!
I can think about other areas of our lives that sometimes need to be restored. A friendship that has been broken…a falling out with a family member…a marriage that is on the rocks. Why is it that we are often willing to put hours and hours of work into something with no eternal value…but when it comes to broken relationships…we give up and walk away instead of doing all we can to bring restoration?
DISCLAIMER: Before you continue reading, I want to make sure you know that I understand that sometimes, divorce is the only option. Sometimes, due to infidelity and/or abuse (physical, mental and emotional)…the only option is to end the marriage. And sometimes, a person even has to walk away from a toxic friendship…which can at times, be as devastating as a divorce.
But, unfortunately, it seems that too often, divorce is considered just because we’ve changed our mind. Our spouse isn’t making us happy…so we walk away. The person we work with is a lot more fun than the person we married…so we walk away. The stress of providing for our family becomes overwhelming…so we walk away. Our spouse has physical ailments that weren’t expected…so we walk away. Why? Because taking our wedding vows seriously and working on restoring the broken-down walls just seems like more work than we are willing or able to do.
This past week I came across someone on Instagram who was revealing that she and her husband were divorcing. One of the comments underneath this post made me want to cry. A reader said something to the effect, “Well, I think of marriage like an expiration date. Sometimes it’s just past the time to be together.” Seriously? How terribly sad.
I think it is easy for us to forget sometimes that we serve a God who is in the restoration business. He can look at a marriage that is falling apart, that is headed for divorce court and see what it CAN be with forgiveness, love and some elbow grease. Will it take a lot of work? Yes, it will. But God never gives up because He knows it will be worth it in the end when the marriage and family are restored and serving Him together.
I can’t help but think that God laid this subject on my heart to share today because someone reading this is thinking of walking away. They are toying with the idea that their marriage is just too far gone and there isn’t any hope. Satan is trying hard to divide this marriage, telling those involved that life would be so much easier, and the grass would be so much greener without their spouse, without all the obligations that seem to get in the way of their happiness. Restoration is just seemingly impossible.
I want to urge you today to give your marriage to the Lord and allow Him to restore it. He can take the crumbling pieces and put them together to be even better than you can ever imagine. Stop struggling on your own and put Jesus in the middle of your relationship and allow Him to make something beautiful out of the ashes. I guarantee you that HE IS ABLE…but you need to be willing.
“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful
or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way.
It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the
truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith,
is always hopeful and endures through every circumstance.”
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