1 Corinthians 7:15 (ESV)
But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace.
What a tough verse to live out in practice. Since I personally experienced the above, I can attest to the struggle it is to obey this verse.
When my first wife left me I was then free and under no obligation. She walked away, declaring she wanted no relationship with me (and, at the time Christ). I was free to move on. My struggle to hold-on to that relationship, however, might have violated what Paul is saying. God has called us to peace. Because I was so obsessed with her and didn’t want to “let” her go, I actually violated Paul’s command in the above verse.
We can get so blinded by our love for someone in this situation that we suddenly fail to see what God is trying to teach us. When she walked away my goal should have been to keep peace. Instead, for a length of time I kept up the “war.”
This entire section from Paul is about the marriage relationship. He is writing to those married, unmarried, separated and divorced. The principles are sound. But the principles are true, as well. And they are to be followed and obeyed, no matter your feelings and emotional connection. God was actually writing this to protect us. When we fight to keep someone who is going away we often do more harm than good. I do agree we should fight for our marriages. But if someone has moved away it is often a fight that brings more harm than good and can violate the principles of God’s word.
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