When TRUST Has Been Broken in Your Marriage

4. Remember to forgive your spouse quickly, but trust him/her slowly.

Trust and forgiveness are two different things, but we often approach them as one in the same.

Forgiveness can only be given. And, God calls us to forgive our repentant loved ones quickly–just as He continually forgives us and offers us grace. When we offer forgiveness, we aren’t telling our spouse that what he/she wasn’t hurtful or wrong; we are simply saying that we love him/her enough to allow him/her to rebuild our trust and move towards healing. True forgiveness is a promise that we aren’t going to hold our spouse’s wrongdoing over his/her head, ruin his/her reputation, or seek revenge against him/her. We give it over to God through our daily prayers and consciously decide to move towards restoration together.

Trust is a totally different thing. Trust MUST be earned through honesty, transparency, and consistency in words and actions. And, this takes a lot of time and patience with one another.  But, when we choose to forgive and allow time to trust to be rebuilt, our hearts and marriage will begin to heal, and our relationship will be restored and strengthened.

If you and your spouse are going through a tough time right now because trust has been broken, please know that there is hope. Just like the couple I discussed at the beginning of this article, you WILL get through this when you both refuse to give up on one another and the marriage and you both get the help that you need to move forward TOGETHER. 

For more resources and information on how to strengthen your marriage, be sure to go to our NEW website and receive a 31-Day Marriage Devotional, by clicking here.