The Benefits of Fostering Faithfulness
May 16, 2009
You might be familiar with the controversy regarding John and Elizabeth Edwards. It seems that he was unfaithful to his wife and had an affair with a campaign staffer. It is also believed that John fathered a child with this woman. During a television interview with Oprah Winfrey, Elizabeth was asked, “Do you still love your husband?” Her reply was, “That is a complicated question.” Friends, our hearts go out to the Edwards family, and to the many couples like them. But if you look carefully, you will see elements of their relationship that transfer to our relationship with God. Christians are married to the Father through Christ (2 Cor. 11:2). Despite our “marriage vows,” every one of us has been unfaithful to the Lord (Prov. 20:9; Rom. 3:10-12). Not only that, but we have given birth to children of unfaithfulness. Infants of our iniquity are seen in the enduring regret, shame, helplessness, and despair that many of us feel. So, we are married to God. We have been unfaithful to God. But that leads us to a form of the penetrating question Oprah asked: Does God still love his spouse? The answer to that question is found in Scripture. We broke our vow of faithfulness (Eze. 16:15). But the great news on today is that God still loves his spouse (Eze. 16:60; Jn. 3:16)! We need only make up our minds to foster faithfulness with the Father. Stop “running around;” fix your desire steadfastly upon him. As Dorothy affirmed, you will find that “there’s no place like home!” Think about it. —JLNJR
