Infidelity, not being true to your purpose, is devastating to most relationships.
Thousands end up in the divorce courts every year because one of the partners has not maintained his or her fidelity. Such problems in relationships can be overcome by patience and understanding and love and by repentance of the offending partner.
I was out making visits to church members years ago as a lay minister called a home teacher . We entered a home where despair was a dark cloud of gloom. One of the partners had left the home with another which addressed in infidelity. I had only seen such sadness a few times in my life and it was always related to death.
When such occasions, both partners must take action to mend the bread. When I went into the army in 1950 because of the outbreak of the Korean War, we soon had soldiers coming to our units from the battlefield. (One had not one spot on his body that was not scarred by bullet holes or hand grenade fragments.) I was soon over in Korea to see what happened to this young man firsthand as soon as he got home, he married to insure his progeny. )
A Hispanic corporal, age 42, came to me and said, "Sergeant, I'm having trouble with my wife.
The reason he came to me was not that he thought nineteen-year-old sergeants were great marriage counselors but that I was an SFC (Sergeant First Class).
I was completely without knowledge of marriage counseling but I was his sergeant. I did the best I could. I told him it was all his fault that he had alienated his wife and that he had better pitch in and help her with the dishes and taking care of the kids and that he needed to buy her flowers and that he Had to give one heck of a lot more to his marriage than she did.
I did not ask him if he had been unfaithful. I did not ask him if he beat the kids. I just told him he would have to change. My parents worshiped each other and not once in their 66 years of marriage did they argument. I had never seen the situation the corporal was in. But as I said, I was the sergeant.
Two weeks later he came to me, thanked me, said his wife was now lovey dovey and that they were extremely happy.
When I got home from the army I took a class in courtship and marriage and found that I had applied the 51% rule.
Now days we have homosexual marriages called gay or lesbian marriages. They are legal in a number of states including of all places, my home state of Utah. Many live together that are not married. In all such relationships, fidelity is required if happiness is to be maintained.
The key is that infidelity must end. If it does not end, the relationship probably will.
There are reasons for infidelity. They must be examined so that the conditions can be removed.
Unkindness to one partner by the other can lead to infidelity.
Associating with the wrong people can lead to infidelity.
Horsing around on the Internet can lead to infidelity.
Flirting can lead to infidelity so do not flirt.
What ever the problem, the offender must repent, change his or her ways, and make up to his or her partner. That is the only way to save such a relationship.
My wife and I have been married for sixty years. She is not able to take care of herself so it takes a lot more giving on my part.
Fidelity is my job.
John