Divorce is the opposite of many things, like unity, peace, love, connection, trust, freedom, and selflessness. If my God didn’t hate divorce, he wouldn’t be a God of love and truth.
There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community. Proverbs 6:16-19 NIV
In an abusive marriage, detestable things happen that make life pretty unbearable at times. Coping skills only get you so far before the very core of your being starts to fade away and all that is left are the lies of the Devil that tell you that life isn’t worth living anymore.
To cry out to God to rescue me, to pull me off the face of the earth because I believe with every ounce of my faith that he has the power to do that even though I don’t believe that I am worth rescuing… that moment changed EVERYTHING!
No more lies, only truth. No more hate, only love. No more games, only living for Jesus. No more angst, only peace. Living fully for God because Jesus Christ, my Savior, was sent to redeem even the most broken, devastated and lost brings a peace that truly surpasses all understanding. I always thought that was just a flowery religious statement from scripture, but it’s true!
The only other way that I can think to describe it might be the “incomprehensible feeling of elation”, but that’s even harder to understand! Since the Bible says it best, we will just stick with that.
And God’s peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 GNTD
It took me way too many years to realize that while marriage is never easy, it shouldn’t be so harmful that it robs your desire to live, desire to love, and desire to be who God designed you to be. The Enemy is at work trying to destroy lives and marriages through addictions, manipulation, desires of the flesh, discontent, shame, anger, jealousy, and division, and none of these things the are ways of God. He gives us free will, though, and doesn’t reward choices that go against his Commandments. As a good Father, he instructs us and guides us to do the right thing, but it is our choice to do that.
Do not for one second think that divorce is God’s plan, or that staying in a marriage that is destroying God’s child is his plan either. All things work for his glory, though, and because of that, I give thanks BOTH for my 29 year marriage AND for my freedom from it. Praise God!! (Astonishingly, my 30th wedding anniversary on July 31, 2023, came and went before the divorce papers were finalized. ~Steph)
He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Ephesians 2:17-18 NIV
(Originally posted on March 13, 2023, on medium.com by Steph)