Q:
How do you know when to hang on to a bad marriage and when to move on? My husband has been unfaithful to me almost since the beginning of our marriage, and now he's moved in with another woman and says it's time for us to call it quits. I don't know what to tell him. I feel so hopeless.
A:
God knows your heartache, and He knows too whether or not your marriage has any future. Although divorce is never God’s perfect plan, it’s clear that your husband has repeatedly broken the marriage vow he took to be faithful to you—a vow he made not only to you, but before God.
In any case, I suspect this decision may already be out of your hands. Although your husband may be trying to manipulate you into taking the first steps toward divorce, he already seems determined to bring this marriage to an end. If that is the case, you may have no option but to seek professional advice concerning your next legal steps.
But don’t let this situation—bad as it is—overwhelm you or make you feel hopeless. Listen: God loves you, and He wants to surround you with His peace during these difficult days. God’s promise is for you: “‘Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,’ says the Lord, who has compassion on you” (Isaiah 54:10).
If you have never done so, turn to Christ and ask Him to come into your life today. He loves you so much that He was willing to give His life for you. With Christ there is hope – hope for our lives right now, and hope for eternity.