Life is short. Have an affair.

There are those times in your life when you hear something or read something and it sticks with you. The phrase or tone may shock, inspire, or motivate you to action. Last week I had one of those moments. I will admit that in some ways I am naive to the ways of the world. So my shock at finding out about a particular website shouldn't come as a surprise to you (or me). Last week I read about how Josh Duggar, one of the people from TLC's show 19 Kids and Counting, had publicly admitted to an affair. He admitted to the affair after the online service he used was hacked and he was one of those outed by the hackers. When I read the article it had an image in it, like the one to the right, of a screenshot from the website used by Duggar. The website is called Ashley Madison and it is an online service that helps individuals make a connection with someone so they can have an affair. When I looked at the image I noticed two shocking things. One shocking aspect of this site is the fact it has over 20 million members. Maybe the more shocking aspect is their slogan which reads "Life is short. Have an affair." As I said earlier, when you read a statement like this it should shock you at it's audacity and then motivate you to action.

It's no secret that Satan is tearing away at the fabric of our society. The easiest way for him to do that is to start in the home. By destroying marriages, Satan is winning the battle against the holiness God desires for His people. Satan is leading men and women out of a holy union designed by God and into a sinful relationship that feeds on the lusts of the flesh. It's easy to be shocked when you hear of a moral failure by a celebrity or even a friend down the road. But that shock ought to motivate you to action. It ought to remind you of the need to strengthen your own marriage, not out of fear, but out of a desire to have a strong marriage that can withstand anything Satan throws at it. 

One of the ways to strengthen your marriage is to remind yourself that your responsibility is to build up your spouse. It's your responsibility to help your spouse reach what God has designed them to be. That also means making your focus, not on what you get out of the relationship, but what you can give to the relationship to meet your spouse's needs. 

Another way to strengthen your relationship is to communicate. The quickest way for a relationship to deteriorate is for the lines of communication to break down. Put the phone, tablet, or laptop down and actually talk to each other. You will find that as you spend time together and engage each other that your bond will be strengthened. 

Finally, pray for your spouse. God can do infinitely more in a second for your spouse than you can do in a lifetime. Seek His plan for your spouse. Ask Him to strengthen your marriage. If you aren't daily praying for your spouse then you need to start today! 

Also, I'm not under any illusion that one spouse working to make a relationship work will be able to sustain a marriage very long. This counsel above is intended for both spouses. If both spouses are not willing to work to make the marriage strong and healthy, then it will end up being weak and open to outside influences. If you and your spouse are at the point of needing some major work on your marriage seek out a Christian marriage counselor or speak to your pastor.

Marriage is not easy. But it is even more difficult when you allow it to slowly crumble due to a lack of preventative maintenance. Do what you know you need to do to strengthen your marriage. When you do, then you'll be able to withstand all the damage Satan tries to cause.


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