Should I Get a Divorce, Biblical View

Should I Get a Divorce

More than we realize, many a spouse goes through their day thinking, “Should I get a divorce?” Thoughts often run through their head as such:

Should I stay or leave my spouse?

How will a divorce affect my children?

Will I have enough money if I get a divorce?

What will my parent’s think if I divorce?

For those in such a strait, I would recommend that you consider these questions before throwing in the marriage towel:

What Does God Think of Divorce?

Whether you are a believer or unbeliever in Christ, marriage is a covenant relationship before God (Malachi 2:14).

Oftentimes, I will hear people say, “Since I was not a Christian before coming to Christ, then my marriage is not a valid marriage in God’s sight.” Honestly, nothing could be further from the truth as the Bible gives examples of people that made covenants outside of God’s will, yet God still held them accountable upon breaking the covenant.

An example of such a case can be found in the book of Joshua 9 when Joshua made a covenant with the Gibeonites. If you carefully read Joshua 9 and compare it to II Samuel 21, you will find that Joshua made a covenant that was outside of God’s will. And, when Saul broke that covenant over 400 years later, the Lord judged the nation of Israel.

Do you have a Biblical Exit Door out of the Marriage?

In Jeremiah 3:8, the scriptures tell us that God wrote a bill of divorcement to His wife, Israel, for spiritual adultery. However, this was only after 700 years of hard unrepentant adultery.

In like manner, Jesus seemed to leave an exit door for the sin of adultery in Matthew 5:32. However, I believe that to follow the example of God with His own wife, Israel, the better option is to choose grace until the other proves that they are in a hard unrepentant state as Israel was in the Old Testament.

What Would Jesus Counsel You to Do?

When many husbands and wives ask the question, “Should I get a divorce?”, they often start with “I feel” or “I think”. However, have you ever stopped and asked the question, “What would Jesus counsel me to do at this time?”