The Bible NETWork ~ Impacting the World for Christ one post at a time!

Hello every woman who loves Jesus. I have stumbled and fallen into an adulterous relationship. I don't want you to judge me and I know you won't because everyone is not as strong as we think we are. I have been married 23 years, 5 children later and feeling abadoned emotionally from my husband, I fell into an adulterous relationship. I need your guidance. I have now broken it off - but I need to know where to go from here. My family knows nothing of my unfaithfulness and my sin. Though they all know that I have fallen away from my love for God. This is why I feel safe telling this forum.
I gave my life to Christ in 1996 and have served Him faithfully for 15 years. Last year about this time a very special person in my life died of cancer and I truly believed God was going to heal her. Instead He took her home to be with Him. I did not have the support system to sustain the attacks that came next. I was attending church and living a very healthy Christian Life when everything fell out below me. As I fell into depression, my family knew there was something wrong, but didn't reach out to me. I fell deeper and deeper within myself. As I was doing my own thing and started drinking to take away the pain of my heartache, I met a young man who proceeded to give me the attention I longed for. It escaladed from there. This young man works for the business my husband owns and lives in a house provided for him near our house.
I need any guidance you can give me. I know the first thing that I must do is cry out to Jesus for forgiveness and His Mercy. So that I plan on doing today. I have stopped drinking and have told this young man that I can't see him anymore, he is angry at me....but said he would never tell anyone. I have to get this off of my heart and feel this is a safe place to do it. Please if anyone has fallen this far, please reach out to me with sympathy and not judgement. Holding on to God's Mercy and Grace

You have made the first step already, StumbledandFallen, by confessing this to your Saviour and asking for forgiveness ... which he promises to give:
1 John 1:9
Then, you have confessed it here to your sisters in Christ. That, I believe, can become part of your restoration to fellowship with others that is open and honest.

I am not sure that you need to go any further - but you need to pray about that, and be open to having to take the next hard step of telling your husband. If there is a chance that your husband will hear it from any one else, you need to tell him too. I would think that telling a trusted pastor and then going together to your husband might be wise ... but I do not know. Hopefully someone here has some pastoral experience with such matters and can advise you better.

Meanwhile, keep in fellowship with the Lord in bible reading and prayer, and with his people, by meeting with other believers regularly. I believe you will then be guided by the Holy Spirit in how to proceed.

_________________
Lappa

I will work as if everything depended on us, and I will pray as if everything depended on God.
St Augustine

My heart hurts for you. This is a highly emotional topic the church never seems to address for women. I suggest reading the book Torn Asunder by Dave Carder.

I have been there and am in counseling with my husband and we have been working through it together. I have hope now that we will learn more about each other than we did the first 20 years we were married. Secrets will never be good for a marriage. Pray for the right direction and if it helps find a good Christian counselor. Check the Focus on the Family website. It's great help.

I will be praying for you!