Seek
after God
So what is a Christian to
do who has gone through a divorce? There are at least seven goals.
The first, of course, is
to seek after God. Whenever a Christian confronts a problem he
should always seek God first. The human tendency however is to seek
human counsel and approval and, in a divorced person’s case, to
look for a new life partner.
What does seeking after God
involve?
- Love God. A breakdown
in human relationships should motivate us to deepen our first and
foremost relationship which is with God. This is the first and great
commandment. (“Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing
on earth that I desire besides you” Psalm 73:25.)
- Clearing up past wrongs.
The second commandment is like it, which is to be reconciled with
others wherever possible. (“First be reconciled to your brother,
and then come and offer your gift” Matthew 5:24.)
- By God’s grace resisting
vengeful thoughts. (“If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened” Psalm 66:18. “Let us test
and examine our ways, and return to the LORD!” Lamentations 3:40)
- Seek God with all your
heart. (“You will seek me and find me. When you seek me with
all your heart” Jeremiah 29:13.)
- Enjoy God’s presence
through meditating on His Word. (“true worshipers will
worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking
such people to worship him” John 4:23.)
- Contentment alone in
Christ. Every Christian must learn contentment alone in Christ
(“and you have been given fullness in Christ” Colossians
2:10). A Christian is complete in Christ; he can therefore serve others
not out of need for companionship but out of unselfish love. If a
Christian did not learn to be content before he got married, then
he would have the opportunity to learn it in a marriage breakup. (“in
your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures
forevermore” Psalm 16:11.)
- Beauty for ashes.
God rewards those who respond in a Godly manner when they go through
suffering. (“to grant to those who mourn in Zion--to give them
a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead
of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that
they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD,
that he may be glorified” Isaiah 61:3)
King David had committed
adultery and murder. Once exposed and convicted by the prophet Nathan,
what did David do? We are told that he grieved, confessed, fasted, and
prayed. (See Psalms 32 and 51.)
The pain a divorced person
feels in losing a loved one can be compared to the pain God feels when
we separate from Him. (“And when he drew near and saw the city,
he wept over it” Luke 19:41.)
Thus, to seek after God
is the first and most important step.
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