When I Think About Cheating....

Day 135 (Written Wednesday April 25) ~ On December 31, 1994 I made a vow to Jade Maxey that I would keep myself only unto her for as long as we both shall live. In the 18 years since I have never once wavered from that vow, and frankly it’s never even been an issue. That being said, past faithfulness does not ensure future fidelity. Twenty years of purity can be defiled with one night of lust, and if you think it can’t ever happen to you, then you must be purer in heart than David, stronger than Samson and wiser than Solomon, because they all betrayed their spouses. Truth is, it can happen to you and it will happen to you if you do not keep your guard up. And for the record, I’m not just talking to us guys. For every man who’s ever cheated on his wife, there is a woman who also cheated with a married man, and statistically wives are cheating almost as much as husbands these days. The title for this blog comes from a powerful country music song by Gretchen Wilson. In the song she sings to her husband, “When I think about cheating, I just think about you leaving, and how my world would fall to pieces, if you took your love away. Even when I’m tempted by some stranger, no there’s never any danger, I just think about you leaving, when I think about cheating.” I thought about this song tonight during Bible class (no the song leader didn’t lead it). I sat down on the pew beside an old friend who, several years ago, made the worst mistake of his life....he cheated on his wife. Many years later he is a broken, shell of the man he once was. His wife, devastated by his infidelity, divorced him. His children, crushed by his betrayal of their mother, have little respect for him. The man I used to see sitting with his wife and children in worship, with a smile on his face, now sits alone in the back. He is still as polite as ever, and as faithful in attendance too, but his face bears the scars of pain, grief and loneliness. I have no doubt that he has received God's grace and forgiveness, but he still had to pay for his sins. He’s a good guy who made a terrible mistake and it cost him everything of value in his life. I wanted to write this blog to speak to anyone who might be thinking, entertaining, contemplating the possibility of cheating. Chances are, at this stage, you are only thinking of the “fun” or “excitement” or “pleasure” you might experience, but I’m pleading with you to look down the road at what comes next. Pain, suffering, sadness, shame, guilt, loneliness. I hope that if the temptation ever crosses my path, in the face of a potential temptress I will see the face of my friend, so full of pain and regret, “when I think about cheating.”