Week 11 Fidelity in Marriage

 

It doesn't seem to matter how long you have been married.  The amount of time and energy that you put into your marriage will come back to you.  If not given enough, Satan can sneak in and start to slowly chip away at all the good that you have built up.  He is so real and can cause all kinds of problems with your relationships, especially in your marriage. He wants you to be miserable like he is.  In H Wallace Goddards book, Drawing Heaven in Your Marriage, he gives us the progression for Unfaithfulness.  It goes as follows:

• Behaviors that seem innocent
• An affection grows that claims part of one's heart
• Extramarital flirting
• Relationship declared as "special"
• Opportunities created to see "special friend"
• Excuses made, lies told to hide time and resources spent on other person
• Spouse is displaced.  Emotional intimacy exchanged with "special friend"
• Faultfinding with spouse
• Fantasies about other person
• Physical affection - a squeeze, kiss or hug
• Sexual relations

It is amazing to me how much time is spent with your "special" relationship before you have actual sexual relations with that person.  Many relationships are different and can be from days to months before this happens.  Can you see how Satan kind of scoots out your spouse and makes it seem there is no harm in your new found "special" someone?  Sometimes we are so blind that we cannot see where we are headed. 

We just need to be so vigilant in our marriage relationship and constantly nourish it for the good.  We need to be aware of Satan and his cunning ways.  We need to make sure that our lives are constantly close to the Lord and listening to the Spirit.  Scripture study, prayer and temple attendance can help us keep our focus on our marriage. Filling our lives with service for our family or others in our community are also great ways to keep our eye single to the glory of God.

As we strive to keep our covenants and and the commandments we will be blessed for our efforts.  We need to also remember that Satan is out there fighting for his cause to make you miserable like he is.  Fight the good fight.  Keep your eyes on the prize of fidelity and your Eternal glasses on your Eternal Companion.