Marriage certainly has its periods of ups and downs--times of excitement, times of tremendous stress, times of mundane routine. During these swings of life, your emotions can leave you unprotected, even vulnerable. As the robot on Lost in Space used to say, "Danger! Danger!"
Make sure that your personal character and integrity are not subject to that emotional roller coaster. A good way to resist damaging temptation to your marriage is to have strong boundaries that don't allow for emotional connection with opposite sex friendships. Alistair Begg advises couples to adopt this axiom for their marriages: Do not take someone of the opposite sex into precincts that are the exclusive domain of your spouse. In other words: Don't be stupid!
A man is on dangerous ground when he thinks that he connects better with the lady at the office than he does with his wife. This is a very subtle trap, but one with lethal consequences. Remember the movie, Fatal Attraction? Now, that's a haunting image! Obviously, it's not going to be possible to avoid ever talking to someone of the opposite sex. But you can easily steer away from flirtatious conversations, let alone put yourself in even more compromising situations. You'll be a happier camper for sidestepping the drama.
Marital indiscretions take place, literally, every hour of the day. And, of course, Christians are just as vulnerable as anyone else. Temptation is no respecter of persons. When tempted, it's good to be reminded of the sincere vows that you and your spouse each took on your wedding day. It's also a wise thing to pray daily for God's protection over your marriage. This will help you avoid the traps of arrogance and foolishness.
Someone once defined the word "integrity" as what one really does when no one else is watching. Your integrity is worth more than gold. So flee temptation! And may your life be defined by good character and unshakable trust--which will in turn lead to a life of freedom and abundant living.
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