Part 4 in the Honoring God During Divorce series.
Honoring God during the divorce process is not easy, but it is not too hard for you. Christian, you can do all thing through Christ who gives you strength (Phil. 4:13). Thus far, we have discussed focusing on Honoring God During Divorce, securing prayer support, i.e., Gather the Troops, and how to Feel All the Feels – Then Resolve to Do What’s Right Anyway. Today we focus on letting God be your vindicator.
When your hopes and dreams are shattered, and your reality morphs into something you don’t recognize, our natural inclination is to protect ourselves. As one brother in Christ shared, “...grief and despair can get the best of you and compromise integrity and character. That’s why it is essential to maintain a strong Christian support system around you.” Amen, brother.
Prayer support is vital. Wise counsel is essential. Both things help you maintain your integrity and character and stay in your lane, i.e., God is your vindicator, do not try to do His job.
Self-protection can take many forms—extreme passivity (picture an ostrich with its head in the sand) to severe aggression. Frequently, we land somewhere in the middle. Hardening our hearts to protect ourselves. Lashing out when we feel attacked – seeking what we are “owed” or to mete out the punishment they “deserve.”
The sad truth is that when we do any of those things, we bring pain and suffering to others. We don’t sin in a vacuum; there is always someone else impacted (often our witness, our child(ren), extended family, and friends). Additionally, when we hardened our heart, we dishonor God who removed our stony heart and gave us a heart of flesh (Ez. 36:26) filled with compassion (1 Jn. 3:17).
The amazing truth is that God can bring about justice and vindicate you without causing collateral damage!
Personally, I believe this is one of the reasons God claims vengeance as His own. “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for God’s wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay (requite), says the Lord” (Rom. 12:19).
God sees you (Gen 16:13). He is a God of Justice (Isa. 30:18) and will fight for you (Ex. 14:14).
Choose to follow Job’s example. In the middle of his storm, he believed in his heart and declared with his mouth, “I know my Redeemer and Vindicator lives” (Job 19:25).
For personalized support, schedule an appointment.
In the future, we will explore the following:
· Protect Your Child(ren) (I Kings 3:16-28)
· Trust God (I Thes. 5:24, Rev. 19:11)
Angela W. Startz, MAHSC, CCLC
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