DEAR REV. GRAHAM: How can I help my friend, who just found out her husband has been unfaithful and is probably going to walk away from their marriage? She is shattered, and I really don't know what to tell her.
-- K.M.
DEAR K.M.: Almost nothing is more devastating than the betrayal of unfaithfulness, especially when the one who has been unfaithful shows no remorse but insists on divorce. No wonder the Bible says, "The man who hates and divorces his wife ... does violence to the one he should protect .... So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful" (Malachi 2:16).
You can help your friend by praying for her -- consistently and faithfully. Pray her marriage will be restored, but pray also that even if it isn't, God will encourage her and keep her from despair or bitterness. Even when hard times come and the future is uncertain, God still loves us and has not abandoned us.
Then be a good listener. Sometimes people don't need our advice as much as they need our love and sympathy and concern. Job's friends didn't always say the right things to him in the midst of his terrible suffering, but at least they showed sympathy for his plight. When they first saw him, the Bible says, "No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was" (Job 2:13).
Finally, encourage your friend to turn to Christ and commit her life and her situation to Him. Others may betray us or abandon us, but Christ never will. Even in the midst of life's most confusing situations, we can have peace as we turn in faith and trust to Jesus. As a footnote, many churches sponsor divorce recovery programs, and you might encourage her to seek one.
Write to Billy Graham in care of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, N.C. 28201 or visit the website at
billygraham.org
Weekend on 05/26/2016