Of course everyone knows the stories so they will not be repeated here. There is no need but what I think is interesting is that the wife of both of these men chose to stick with their man.
No Divorce
No separation
Just forgiveness, a determination to work through it, and move on.
Why?
Maybe it was for love or for some other reason that only these two families know. But at the end of the day, by sticking it through these times of extreme awkwardness, they made a choice to stay together, resulting in political gain.
Yes… It helps them politically.
Regardless of the people who are against them or the jokes that are vocalized, the testimony of keeping their marriages intact is strong enough to give them a political boost.
Why?
Because people are saying…
“What woman would stay with him? I know I wouldn’t… Props to her for putting up with that.”
“I would drop him in a skinny minute… she has some guts, she has resolve” I’m not saying what they did was right, i.e. the sin these guys committed against God, so don’t get me wrong. I’m just saying it is a strong, positive testimony for them to stick with their marriage, and at the end of the day, whether they are doing it for this purpose or not, they have achieved political gain from that decision.
So, let me throw this into the mix…
What if staying with your current spouse would result in spiritual gain? What if your story, of forgiveness, change and restitution could be told to others as testimony of God’s grace and power at work in your marriage at a time it was at the point of falling part. What if your decision to stick by your woman… to stick by your man and work things out, resulted in spiritual gain?
What if I told you there is no doubt that is what you would achieve?
Yes, sticking it through, working out the differences, forgiving the other spouse would result in spiritual gain for you personally, for your testimony to others and for the church as a collective whole.
People would be saying…
“I would have given up on my marriage… props to them for having the strength to do what it took to keep their marriage together.”
and you could say…
“Yes… it is amazing for it was only the power of God that enabled us to mend what was broken.”
and these statements would be only the beginning of the spiritual gain you would obtain.
So the lesson for us today, whether we are on our second marriage, our first marriage, divorced and looking, in a great marriage or one that needs some work, if these two couples can stick it through for political gain then we can stick it out for spiritual gain. “for He that is in us is greater than He that is in the world”
phillipbrande.com 