Cheating

About a week ago I received a message from someone who's doing a research project on cheating. In it she asked a couple of questions about my (well, everyone's) opinion on cheating. At first I was thinking like cheating on a test...can you see how stretched my mind's been lately. Course she wasn't, but I have just as strong opinions on this as on the other. Actually, maybe a little stronger.
Cheating is a wrong. I could break it down and call it adultery. That would save me from from confusing it with the other cheating.
Now why do I believe this? Well, it's breaking a covenant when someone cheats. When someone says their vows, it means for life. God designed marriage to be between a man and a woman till death do y'all part. Genesis 2:24 says for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to be his wife, and they will become one flesh. Marriage is an union between two people, one flesh, and cheating disrupts this adding another person. I mean, once you get into Leviticus, the punishment under the old law was pretty harsh. Thank God for grace.
God also says he hates divorce in Malachi, and cheating often leads to that. I hate divorce too.
That's just a simple basis of why I don't like it. I could get deeper into it, but I'm going to move on.
I've seen the consequences of what cheating does. I've never cheated on anyone, seeing as I've never really even dated anyone. I have assumptions on why someone might cheat, but they aren't set in stone. (I think I know more of being on the other side) I don't think it matters male or female on who's more likely. Although there are vast difference between the genders, they probably boil down to the same. We're all sinners and it's in our nature. In the Bible, Jesus even says if you lust after a man ( or woman) you've commited adultery in your heart. Which means about all of us have commited it. That's why we needed a Savior. But the act is a whole nother story...what makes a person go for it? Like I said, I have thoughts.
Now the personal deepfound reason of why I don't like cheating is because, other than how it disrupts the covenant of marriage, it leaves deep marks on a relationship...relationships. The person who you cheated on feels betrayed. Yes, forgiveness is possible and I highly encourage reconcilation, but it's a painful process. If you have a family, you aren't just hurting your spouse. Feeling of betrayal, of embarrassment and distrust. It'll be hard to build this trust back. What about if the kids find out? More than likely they'll feel just as betrayed. It could have lasting consequences on their lives.
Fortunately, in my life I think it shaped me into the woman I've become. Yes, I still have issues, but Jesus has definitely helped me through my past. God has used my experiences to grow me. Looking back I can see where He used every experience to strengthen my walk with Him. Not saying it didn't hurt. It did and, like I said, I hate divorce. I don't like cheating. I've watched how it's hurt people and is hurting people right now. I actually would like to hurt anyone who cheats on their spouse. On their family.
I remind myself of a lot of things and try to pray for them instead. Something I have to understand is they're hurting too. Course it's hard, especially when you see someone you love hurting from the actions of someone else. The ignorant actions of a sinful man. And I say man as general man or woman. Let's face it: God loves them too. They are made in His image and regardless of what they do, He loves them. I have to pray for God to help me pray for them and see them as He sees them.
If you want to get down to it, we've all commited adultery against Him. We've chosen to sin against a holy God. That's a deep subject that I don't think I can start on in this blog. Actually I should keep to cheating.
This sounds really scatteredd to me and maybe I should have actually written it out and edited it before I posted it, but I'm just going with this. It's late and I'm tired. Thanks for sticking with me to this point.