Infidelity - Part 1Sample
Faithfulness Defined
Devotional Content:
There is something magical about fairy tales. Stories like Cinderella are told over and over in many different ways. The end is always the same. Guy rescues girl. Guy marries girl. They live happily ever after. It’s the dream of almost every little girl to grow up and be Cinderella and every boy wants to be the handsome prince that rescues the fair maiden in distress.
When Nancy and I got married, even though we never said the words, our goal was to live happily ever after. It’s every couple’s dream. Yet, one half of the marriages don’t make it and of the fifty percent that are left, how many really fulfill the dream?
I’m not about to throw cold water on that dream. The key I think is how we define “happily ever after” and how we carry out that dream. For us today the answer is somewhat different than it was on our wedding day. Today it would be a marriage with God at the center. A marriage where we pray together, read the Bible together, have fun together, and embrace the blessings of our life together. It’s being unselfish and putting the other first. If we do that with God’s help most days, I think we get to “happily ever after.” It’s not the trials of life that knock us off track. We all have trials. It’s how we handle them that makes the difference. Staying focused on our marriage no matter what keeps us faithful. Being faithful to the vows we made at the altar and faithfully pursuing the marriage God has for us will sustain us day after day. That is faithfulness defined. That’s “happily ever after” God’s way!
Today’s Challenge:
Dr. Kim defines faithfulness as staying focused on your marriage no matter what. What can you do this week to show your spouse you are focused on your marriage?
Going Deeper:
1. Dr. Kim shares that trust is the foundation of intimacy and closeness. Why do you think trust is so important to intimacy?
2. None of us are perfect. So none of us have been 100% focused on our marriage all the time, which means none of us has done faithfulness perfectly. How can you extend grace to yourself and your spouse when it comes to this?
3. Spend some time thinking about what faithfulness means to you. Write down five points about faithfulness. Share these things with your spouse and have a conversation about faithfulness.
4. Pray and ask God to help you make a commitment to faithfulness in your marriage.
About this Plan
Infidelity is at near epidemic proportions. I doubt there is anyone who has not been affected by it in one way or another. It may have been a friend, a relative, or in your own marriage. This plan includes six short videos of Dr. Kimberling teaching on infidelity and is designed to help couples look seriously at their marriage and take steps to protect and strengthen it together.
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