I am so glad you have joined me on the journey of finding hope in a spiritually mismatched marriage.
Loving the unbeliever in your home is hard, but possible. As a Christian you are called to love your spouse well even when you don’t share the same worldview. In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul writes:
To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. 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. For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?(v. 12-16, ESV).
Paul is clear that the husband or wife of an unbeliever should not divorce his or her spouse because of the spiritual mismatch. Staying committed to the marriage promises blessings for the believer, the unbeliever, and their children; however, choosing this path, the one less traveled, is often scary, difficult, and lonely. Having chosen this path myself, I’ve experienced the days that feel hopeless and unbearable. I’ve also experienced the days that God gives me a glimpse into his heart and that makes it all worth it. If you find yourself in a spiritual mismatch, and want to choose to love your spouse well even when it is hard, I desire to walk alongside of you with Christ leading us.
Hey, I’m Katie
I’m the wife of an atheist and mom of one very strong-willed, yet tender-hearted, little boy. After three years of walking around deeply wounded and grieving after my husband renounced his faith and walked away from the church, I am learning to ask hard questions, answer hard questions, and live a life of disciplined grace daily in the presence of the Lord. It is my hope to share with sisters in Christ the grace I have experienced, the hope that I cling to, and the joy I have found in life as a result.
- The Waiting Wife
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