Rooted in Truth: A Devotion in the Ten Commandmentsಮಾದರಿ

Being Faithful

For Instruction

Faithfulness to a spouse is of utmost importance because it reflects God's faithfulness to us. Adultery is such a severe sin not just because of the severe emotional damage it causes to our spouse or the destruction of the marriage relationship that it can lead to, but because it is the breach of a covenant. Since it is impossible for God to break His covenant promises (cf. Heb 6:18), arguably we are never more unlike God than when we are breaking a covenant.

Are we "okay" though if we haven't literally cheated on our spouse? Well...no. Jesus says that lust is adultery in the heart (Matt 5:27-28). Like murder, adultery starts in and springs from the heart. We are closer to adultery than we would like to think. Interestingly, God also uses adultery as a metaphor to describe his people's unfaithfulness to him (Jer 3:8; 13:27).

For Giving Thanks

The contrast to unfaithfulness is faithfulness. God wants us to reflect His faithfulness. But that means that He is faithful. And for that we can be thankful. We can also thank the Lord for the healing that He is able to bring to relationships that have been crushed through unfaithfulness. If He is able to reconcile people to himself by forgiving and restoring them from their spiritual adultery, then He is also more than able to heal relationships that have been broken through infidelity.

For Confession

Confess any actual acts of adultery that you may have committed. Confess any flirtations with someone who is not your spouse. Confess any interactions that are carried out with a possible adulterous intent. Even a "hello" offered to someone other than your spouse is dangerous if it springs from more than a platonic interest in that person.

These little interactions are adultery at its inception. Confess any lustful thoughts or fantasies or even just the thought that you wish you were married to someone else. Finally, confess to the Lord your unfaithfulnesses to Him.

For Prayer

Ever Faithful God, we thank you for always being true to us no matter what. Help us to imitate you through complete and total faithfulness to our spouse--in our thoughts, in our actions, and even in our emotions and desires. Help us also to turn from our unfaithfulness to you and faithfully love you with the same constant love with which you have loved us.