Divorce and Remarriage

I remember how angry I was, and much of my anger was directed at God. I had married the man he told me to marry, so why was I experiencing this pain?

I began praying for my husband fourteen years ago. I wish I would’ve prayed the other fourteen. The road would’ve looked so different. I would’ve been grateful instead of resentful of the man God gave me.

No one brings you warm dinners or premade casserole dishes. Nobody offers to go with you to planning meetings or conciliation hearings. Very few stop by with cards, flowers, or well wishes after the death of your marriage, but I believe the pain is just the same.We’re left alone with our thoughts and to sort through the destruction left behind from the unwanted divorce. Add to that the blame and the shame that we hear from others, or their complete silence, and we may just start believing these lies as the truth about our divorced circumstances and ourselves too.As we wade through the pain and the legal process, we need to know the difference between truth and lies. When we see the lies for what they are, we’re better able to understand what is the truth about our situation.Here are 5 lies you need to stop believing…

Divorce is a real and prevalent issue both inside and outside the church. When it comes to the topic of divorce, this can be a little bit like The Scarlet Letter. If you are not familiar with the story, a woman who had committed adultery was forced to walk around with a scarlet letter A sewn into her clothes. This identified to everyone the sin she had committed.When it comes to divorce, sometimes in Christian circles it gets treated the same way. There are several reasons why people get divorced: adultery, abuse, finances, or simply falling out of love. But the question that many wonder is this: is divorce a sin? Obviously, divorce is not something that God wants or pleases Him, but is it actually a sin? Divorce is a complicated and controversial issue, yet it cannot be ignored.What makes something, such as divorce, sinful?The nature of this topic should require us to approach it with a lot of grace. For people not facing these challenging situations it could be very easy to come to the conclusion that divorce is a sin. The short answer is yes, Paul and Jesus both spoke of factors that can allow divorce to be justified and not sinful. However, t truth of the matter is that whether divorce is a sin is a little more complicated than that.As I write this, I am writing from a perspective of a child whose parents went through a divorce, so I have seen firsthand how devastating and damaging this can be. My intention today is to not bring down the heavy hand, which is easy to do, but to bring the hand of grace, which is not always easy to do. Whether the actual act of divorce is a sin, every divorce is a product of sin. If there was no sin in the marriage relationship, divorce would not be needed. Surely Jesus knows our weaknesses and understands our needs. Let's take a look at what the Bible teaches us as grounds for divorce and reconciliation.

I know the devastation of divorce. I understand the hurt and pain that cannot be articulated with words. I also bear witness to the fact that God can make beauty from ashes. When we are open to releasing our fragile hearts back to God, in exchange, we receive healing accompanied by joy, restoration, peace, and hope.

If life isn’t ideal, and the D-word becomes a reality, however, we enter a new phase of life. Ideal A didn’t happen. Instead, we enter Ideal B. It’s still ideal because it’s focused on God’s best for our lives here and now.

God hates divorce is not the end of this divorce discussion. It doesn’t give us enough information or any context behind why God is saying this.

Life felt out of control, but I did have control of myself and the life I chose to live moving forward. I began to see glimpses of hope.Because in my suffering, I knew He was my lifeline.In my suffering, He was my constant companion.In my suffering, He was my HOPE.

Author and Proverbs 31 Ministries founder Lysa TerKeurst revealed to her social media followers over the weekend that she is in a new relationship following her divorce.

My wife and I are helping some dear friends through problems in their marriage. Please help me understand what the Bible says about divorce.

Marriage is a sacred and serious union. But God loves the individual more than he loves the institution; the individual who was “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14) by the Lord Himself, in His image.

There are two subtle and sneaky ways the devil tries to deceive a husband or wife into crossing the line into adultery. Are you aware of what they are?

It is a good thing to find love, but adversity, defined as difficulties and misfortune, keeps coming at us from within and without, no matter how much we love our spouse. Overcoming adversity in marriage is one of the most important life skills we can learn.

Whether you're married, engaged, or dating, Christ never called us to live in lovelessness.

Our sex life can wax and wane over time but for us to remain feeling close we have to commit to regularly having sex. One major “red flag” for married couples is too much time passing between your sexual interactions.

The Bible teaches us that God is a God of second chances and that through His love and grace, we can find new beginnings even in the most challenging circumstances.

Everybody loves a good wedding story, and there is nothing better than two people falling in love and deciding to bind their love in marriage. Oh, the romance of it all.Unfortunately, as we know, all marriages don’t last. Some end because death does them part, and for many others they end through divorce. Regardless of how you got there, whether through death or divorce, you may find yourself in a situation where you have gone from being married to being unmarried. For many people in this position, they may desire to get remarried, but what does the Bible say about remarriage and how can you apply this to your life if you are in this situation?Does the Bible Allow Remarriage?Before I go further, I want to be clear of what marriage is. The Biblical definition of marriage is a legally and spiritually binding contract between one man and one woman. When it comes to marriage, I know we like to focus on the love part, but the truth is when you get married, you are taking a binding oath – before God, before the law, and before men. This oath is your agreement to be committed to one person for as long as you both shall live.Now that we have defined that let’s consider the question of getting remarried. What the Bible says about remarriage is that yes, it is possible. A person can get remarried, however there are conditions where this is allowable and clear, and there are some instances where the answer may be a little more challenging. Let’s start with the easier one.Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Christin Lola

Have you ever wondered what happens between “I do” and “we’re done”?No one wants to get divorced. Not even those celebrity unions that seem doomed from the start. They don’t want it. No one wants the pain and wreckage of divorce.A bride and groom gaze down that aisle and envision a future of dedicated teamwork fulfilling hopes and dreams.Photo Courtesy:©Getty Images/People Images

The mistakes we made, the unrealistic expectations, the trials and the “me-first” attitudes all served a purpose. All proved our desperate need for Jesus.

Even with divorce being so common today, people who haven’t lived it, typically don’t understand.