Sucker Punch – Surviving Divorce - Wednesday
Today’s Verse
1 John 3:1
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! (NIV)
Divorce can take your identity and throw it in a blender.
The summer before I started first grade, my mom remarried. When she married, her last name changed, but as a 5-year-old, I didn’t care. I was more interested in He-Man and Star Wars action figures. When I started school, that changed. I realized most kids at school had the same last name as their parents. Up to that point in my life, I had always had a different last name than my mom. I was a Johnson and my mom had retained her maiden name. That was normal. But when I found out that all the other kids had the same last name as their parents, I began to feel different. Why was my name different? Did my last name make me less than a full family member? Was I supposed to change my name? Was I supposed to keep my name?
I didn’t have words for everything I was confused about, but now as an adult, I recognize that a lot of what I was struggling with was my identity. Who was I? Whose was I? What family did I belong to?
After spending years seeing yourself as a wife or husband, divorce can create an identity vacuum. The same holds true for children in a divorce.
Thankfully, we have a God who over and over refers to us as His children and calls Himself the Father. God will never leave us. He will never disown us. Regardless of how far we walk away from Him, He will always welcome us back with open arms. Regardless of your marital status, you are and will forever have a secure identity as a child of God. Whether you find yourself in a season of swirling chaos or calm stillness, you can be confident that your true identity will NEVER change.
REFLECTION
Today, spend some time praying for those who have already gone through a divorce. Pray that they will receive the love and peace that God offers them. Pray that no matter the confusion or stress in their lives, they will rest knowing that God is the Rock that will never change and He will never leave them.
If throughout this week you want to talk to someone on staff at church about your marriage, or you would like to seek counseling, give us a call or click here.