After a Great Deal of Prayer, You Decided What?
Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife of 25 years, Maria Shriver, announced a week ago Monday that they are separating.
The statement, issued by a spokesman for Schwarzenegger, said the two were working on the future of their relationship while living apart and they would continue to parent their four children together.
"This has been a time of great personal and professional transition for each of us," the two said in a prepared statement. "After a great deal of thought, reflection, discussion, and prayer, we came to this decision together."
It’s hard keeping a marriage together these days. Pressures of parenting, career, and changes in life can all take its toll on a relationship. However, that is the reason, we are told in scripture that the two shall be one, so that you can work through issues together. When people say they prayed through to the conclusion of taking action that is contrary to what is right spiritually, you have to ask the question, “who are we praying to?” Is prayer like so many other Christian traditions, just a word used to justify the intentions of those praying? People go to church, because somehow being in a church building will make you right with God. Or saying a prayer about a situation, is enough to justify an action or decision. Scripture tells us that if we don’t follow God’s instructions, even our prayers will be an abomination. (Proverbs 28:9)
God does not answer prayers that are prayed in violation of His Word. There may be times when divorce is justified because of violence or infidelity, but to end a marriage because we aren’t convenient for each other any more is not the kind of reason scripture gives to end a marriage.
Going to church, praying, calling ourselves Christian do not make us right with God. These kinds of activities are only that, activities. We can defined the church as: people who believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, and have dedicated their lives to being His disciples. A disciple is one who follows Christ, through the discipline believing in the Word, and living it out everyday. So when people say, “we’ve prayed about this situation” and their actions violate His Word, we know their prayer was self fulfilled.
God wants the best for our marriages, and our families, but we have to learn how to live according to His instructions, because it is in those instructions that His best can be found.
I hope the Schwarzenegger’s will make some amendments to their decision to go their separate ways.
Remember, “a prayer to God, will never be answered in violation to His Word.”
Just keeping it honest and truthful…..K
Larry Kutzler
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