Resurrected Relationship

We serve a God who sent His Son, who, by giving His life and by raising from the dead, has provided for us the way of salvation and brought us into a place of reconciliation with our Heavenly Father. Hebrews chapter 12 contains these words:
12 Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees,
13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.
14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled...

This lays out for us the template for healthy, healed relationships: we look to the Lord to strengthen us and to straighten the way we walk - so, we have to be humble in order that He can have His way through us.  We look to Him to heal what is not right and to bring peace into our relationships.  He also enables us to walk in a manner pleasing to Him - He gives us the capability to be holy, because He has declared us to be so.  

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Jesus has come to give us newness of life - to provide a new heart, through which flows a new outlook and a renewed mind, according to Romans 12. 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 states:
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,
19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

Their marriage rose "out of the dust."

Those are the words of Stephanie Teague, who heard her husband Chris speak these words: “I don’t think I believe in God anymore and I no longer want to be married.”

That's according to a piece she wrote for The Christian Heart website. 

This is most certainly devastating because the couple had been in ministry when this occurred. She writes, "Even though we were in ministry, he had been on his own quiet journey through addiction, doubts, and deconstruction. It is normal to wrestle with faith and fight to find truth, but his journey took him down a path that nearly destroyed us." The article continues:

After our painful divorce, he continued in this painful, isolating direction for quite some time while I slowly rebuilt my life with the support of my family. After such a deep hurt, I was so confused and frustrated. I had never thought that he would question his faith or question our marriage. But as I was on my own, I tried to pursue God while trying to heal and make sense of all I had been through.

Fortunately, the story didn't end there. Chris experienced what Stephanie says was a "true-life transformation."  He had reconciled with God, and wanted to reconcile with her.

But, she would have none of it. She writes that "there was nothing left, there was really no hope." But, we know that there is hope in the Lord.  She recounts...

...out of the dust, acting only as God can, He breathed life back into our story. Through God’s kindness, wise counsel, and time, God reconnected us and brought reconciliation. We even remarried!

They have named their music ministry "Out of the Dust."  You may even hear them played on Faith Radio from time to time.  They've been guests on The Meeting House. Stephanie says:

We travel to tell our story to offer hope to those who are hurting or walking through deconstruction. We know that not all marriages will be reconciled like ours. But we serve a God of redemption and reconciliation. In the end, your story and pain may not look like ours. But He is the God who put our hearts back together, and He can and will do the same for you.

For the troubled marriage, the story of Chris and Stephanie can bring hope. Jesus is concerned about every area of our lives, and the relationship with our spouse reflects His relationship with His Church. It's an institution He reinforced after God created and ordained it in the first place.  It's important that all married couples place Him as the focal point of their marriage, and for couples who are not married yet, He is the One who can direct and prepare them for that day when they will be wed, so that their marriage will be built on a strong foundation.

We serve a God who is devoted to reconciliation - with Him and with one another.  For married couples, family members, and others where offense has driven them apart.  Jesus has shown us what it means to walk in love, and that involves humility and forgiveness. He gives us what we need in order to walk in healthy relationships.