Adultery Is Stealing

The world we live in today has really advanced beyond comprehension. It is truly exciting to be able to stay in touch with people from far and near because of the magic of social media and other clever apps that most of us rely on today.

As much as these progresses we’ve seen in recent times are great (and I welcome them), I do sometimes stop to ask, ‘at what cost though’. For it sometimes feels like much evolution has brought about an unprecedented decline in both personal and societal moral values.

For example, instead of calling it adultery (it’s real name), we now call it ‘a fling’. Thus, you observe that people just carry on cheating (sometimes without much regard for their spouse) as if there’s no consequence for their actions. In many of these instances, the extramarital affair tends to continue until the person is caught in the act.

Now! Rather than repent and genuinely seek forgiveness from their spouse, they say ‘it was a mistake’. But, no! no! no! Adultery is not a mistake! A mistake is when you innocently forget someone’s name and call them James instead of Jane. A mistake is when you misunderstood your wife’s request for 2 sugars in her tea and you put 6 sugars instead. A mistake is when you unknowingly gave the cashier £5 more for the stuff you purchased because you had so many thing on your mind that afternoon. Adultery however, is not a mistake. It is a voluntary (intentional, deliberate, premeditated, planned, calculated and conscious) sexual intercourse between a married person and someone other than his or her lawful spouse.

I mean, let’s just say it as it is! Implying therefore that adultery is like stealing.

Think of it! If you take something that doesn’t belong to you lawfully, you are said to have stolen that thing because it isn’t yours. Hence, if you are having an affair with a man that’s not your lawful husband or with a woman that’s not your lawful wife, you are basically stealing. And you need to stop it now!

Mike Pence said, “What is real is that adultery destroys tens of thousands of families every year across America. What is real is that adultery scars tens of thousands of children emotionally and psychologically every year. What is real is that adultery is an open wound in a relationship which more often than not overflows into domestic violence or worse.” Also, I believe it is for this reason that Natalie Ginzburg, the Italian author and expert on family and relationships said, “No adultery is bloodless.”

Too many marriages have ended in bitter divorce, too many hearts have been shattered and too many children have had their futures marred by the unfaithful acts of one or both parents.

Admittedly, people tend to have some sort of ecstasy from illicit sexual affairs, which is usually short lived. But the truth is that the consequences can be long lasting. To the extent that unfortunately, some people on the receiving end of it hardly ever recover from the pains and betrayal.

Our objective on The Marriage Workshop as always is to build intimate family relationships by highlighting issues in a way that our audiences can learn from. So, please read the next few lines objectively!

John Lennon! Remember him? The famous member of the Beatles band. At one point in his life, John Lennon sought to change the world through music and he succeeded in part because he commanded a lot of following at the time. His first marriage to Cynthia Powell produced a son, Julian Lennon.

In an interview with The Telegraph in 2011, Julian revealed that he’s been discouraged from starting a family of his own because of the very difficult relationship he had with his late father. Again, in a previous interview, he’s quoted to have said, “Mum was more about love than Dad. He sang about it, he spoke about, but he never really gave it, at least not to me as his son." Also, in another interview with the same newspaper, The Telegraph. Julian said something quite telling, and shocking. He said, "I have to say that, from my point of view, I felt he was a hypocrite. Dad could talk about peace and love out loud to the world but he could never show it to the people who supposedly meant the most to him: his wife and son. How can you talk about peace and love and have a family in bits and pieces - no communication, adultery, divorce? You can't do it, not if you're being true and honest with yourself.”

Jesus Christ once asked his disciples what people thought about him and His message. And when some of them responded with vague generalities, He pinned the question on them and asked directly – “… But who do you say that I am”? (Matthew 16:13-15).

Now, let me ask you this! Who do your children say you are? A faithful parent or an adulterous parent? More so, what will they say about you (long after you’re gone)? Will they praise you for your exemplary life or will they vilify you for your incontinency. Your choice no doubt! But if the truth be told, it really doesn’t matter what people on the outside say about you, what matters most is what your children say or will say about you – for they are the ones that knows you more than anyone else ever could.

So! Lets just say it as it is! Adultery is a sin. Adultery is stealing. Repent of it. Ask for forgiveness and work towards making it right with your spouse.

The Marriage Workshop