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Will Our Marriages Become a Casualty of the Coronavirus?

Will Our Marriages Become a Casualty of the Coronavirus?

As we have seen on a daily basis, the threat of the Coronavirus is not just medical, not just financial, not just emotional, but if not prayerfully and humbly addressed, this threat could also become marital as well.

While we pray against any casualties in our battle against this Coronavirus, we need to also pray our marriages would not become a casualty too!

Here are some helpful Biblical truths to maintain intimacy, trust and forgiveness with your spouse during this trial. As we all battle the Coronavirus together may our selfish battles with our spouses cease.

Hostility Healed, Forgiveness Received

Now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility. –Ephesians 2:13-14

An article released by Bloomberg Businessweek on March 31st, was entitled, “China’s Divorce Spike Is a Warning to Rest of Locked-Down World.”  Journalist Sheridan Prasso points out that after being on lockdown for two months China is seeing a huge increase in the number of divorces.

The article explains,

Shanghai divorce lawyer Steve Li at Gentle & Trust Law Firm says his caseload has increased 25% since the city’s lockdown eased in mid-March… For many (couples) it was too much. “The more time they spent together, the more they hated each other.”

This admonition should shock us. One of the primary motivations to get married is to be intimate with our future spouse. We not only want more time with them, we want to spend the rest of our lives with them.

Yet the person we love more than any other person on the day of wedding can become the person we loathe more than any other person on the day of our divorce. And that is the tragic reality when we are not all battling a global pandemic! How much more so now?

What makes marriage so difficult is not just baggage from other broken relationships, not just the demands of our stressful and hectic lives, and not just the lack of healthy communication… What makes marriage so difficult is us. Two sinners joined together, each hoping their spouse would become their savior. Whereas on the last day of our marriages we come to the devastating realization we are unable to save ourselves, or our spouses, we should have realized it on the first day.

In marriage, every part of us will eventually be laid bare before our spouse. There is no place to hide. The Bible proclaims we are all sinners by choice and by nature (see Ephesians 2:1-10). In marriage, our sin becomes painfully obvious.

The Good News is, not only does Jesus know you as well as your spouse knows you, but Jesus knows you better than your spouse – AND – he loves you more than your spouse!

In our utter brokenness, selfishness and hostility toward God, Jesus destroyed the insurmountable barrier when He died on the cross for our sin.

Forgiveness was given and now forgiveness needs to be received. For good marriages to remain strong, and for hurting marriages to be restored, the amazing grace of God must be first received by us and then extended to our spouses.

As many have said, “Hurt people, hurt people. Forgiven people, forgive people.” Would you allow Jesus destroy the wall of hostility and build true intimacy in your marriage? Place your trust in Jesus as your Savior, not yourself and not your spouse. That kind of spiritual strength in marriage is something not even the Coronavirus can infect.

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. -Ephesians 4:30-31