Hope After AdulterySample

How adultery happens

Few Christians see themselves as the kind of people who would commit adultery. So, how does it happen to so many believers?

Here’s a common pattern: First, deprivation. A spouse feels deprived of love/respect/attention/intimacy at home. Something is wrong in their relationship, and their spouse doesn’t see it as an issue. Second, attraction. The deprived spouse notices someone and is drawn to them. Third, intention. You intentionally try to be with/impress the person you’re attracted to. You stop by the party that he’ll be at. You dress up for the Zoom call she is on. Fourth, emotion. You share emotional, personal, and vulnerable things with the object of your attraction, often about your own struggling marriage. Finally, connection. You physically connect—a touch, a hug, which rushes into something much more.

In his famous teaching on adultery and lust, Jesus said, “If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell” (Matthew 5:29). Jesus’ point? It’s better to take a drastic step now than end up with a devastating ending.

Maybe God has you reading these words for a reason. You haven’t cheated, but you see yourself in that pattern. You haven’t physically connected, but you are definitely attracted and intentional about crossing paths with a particular person. Consider this devotion your warning from God before it is too late. Do whatever you need to do to avoid the catastrophe of adultery.