Day 10: Other Dimensions of Faithfulness: Part 1 - 31 Days: Marriage Devotionals

Scripture Focus: Marriage is to be honored by all, and husbands and wives must be faithful to each other. Hebrews 13:4

The writer of Hebrews instructs us that husbands and wives must be faithful to each other. Isn’t it revealing that this mandate is given to both genders? Both partners are charged with being faithful; neither spouse gets a free pass on affairs or wandering.

Yet in today’s values-challenged and distracting culture, being “faithful to your partner” has extra dimensions you may not have considered. We’ll look at one of those other dimensions in today’s devotional.

Have you ever reflected on what it means to be emotionally faithful to your husband or wife? Have you ever heard someone use the phrase “emotional faithfulness”?

 As we work with couples in the aftermath of affairs, we often discover that the pathway to an affair began with an emotional --- not sexual --- attraction between the two people.    A friendship bloomed and became closer; two people began to cross some emotional boundaries long before they became involved sexually. Often these two people met in their workplace. Simply doing their jobs placed them in situations where they could be, and become, emotionally attracted to each other.

The close and deep friendship we share with our life partner is meant to be different --- closer and deeper --- than our other relationships. When we begin allowing ourselves to have strong and deep feelings for someone other than our spouse, we are quickly on dangerous ground. We tell ourselves a variety of lies, most of which revolve around this one: “But we aren’t doing anything (meaning sexually), so it’s okay.” All too often, these treacherous lies lead to promise-breaking, family-shattering sins.

For your personal reflection:

• What kinds of emotional boundaries have you established, so that your marriage partner can be and remain your closest and deepest friendship?
• What steps should you take --- today --- to guard yourself against becoming attracted emotionally, and involved emotionally, with someone who is not your spouse?