Only minutes ago, just before finding this thread, I had an argument with my wife....A woman we know decided she didn't what to be married anymore and just divorced her husband. She had been a SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER...he a devout Christian.
She had NO Biblical grounds for the divorce. Yet, my wife uses the "But, Jesus wants us to be happy" straw argument to defend what she did. My response: Find for me in the Word where Jesus said it is OK to divorce if that makes you happy.
Oh, *&^%$~!!!! I can't believe she buys into that "I have a right to be happy, no matter what" crap! I don't know about her, but there's no small print on my birth certificate guaranteeing that I'll always be "happy".
With all due respect to your wife, she needs to rethink that position.
God hates divorce. Even if two people are no longer "in love", if they have integrity, are not self-centered, and stay true to their marital promises, I think a finer, deeper and more induring love results. But it takes two dedicated people to attain this. I have been divorced very early in my life before I gave my life to Christ, because if I didn't I don't think I would still be among the living. There are reasons why divorce is acceptable by God. And there are far worse states than being single. Unfortunately, you are right, the divorce statistics among Christians are nearly on a par with the secular world. We have all been tainted by Society's destructive example. That is why thirsting for God's Word is more important than ever. There are Christians, and then there are Christians. No where will anyone of them find advice more valuable than the words of Jesus, especially now that Satan is taking the gloves off in his final effort. As a couple, as a family, read Ephesians 6:10-18 every morning.
"A woman we know decided she didn't what to be married anymore and just divorced her husband."
Only she and her husband knew the real reason.
Are you SURE she had no Biblical grounds for divorce? Do you have absolute knowledge of what went on in that house? Or are you ASSuming she had no Biblical grounds for divorce? Lots of nasty stuff happens behind closed doors, and just because a person goes to church a lot and says all the right words doesn't mean they're a real Christian. Maybe he's an abuser, maybe he's a philander, maybe he's just an all around scumbag... or maybe she's the problem. Some divorces are a good thing, because some people should have been left at the altar but their spouse doesn't find out until too late. Make sure you get the facts before you pass judgement, because if it turns out there was a Biblical reason going on behind closed doors one of the two of them is going to need support from every friend they've got.
Find anywhere in the Bible where it says G-d wants us to be happy.
G-d wants us to be Holy.
I don't mean to imply that G-d wants us to be miserable. But G-d knows that the surest way to become miserable is to become overly focused on being happy.
Shalom.