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It’s been said that every marital relationship is only 31 days from some sort of an affair. With all of the outside influences that attempt to attack marriages, this stat is possibly very true. Whether it’s an old fling that contacts a party after 25 years or someone new in the office, the situation is the same. Pastor Andy Stanley recently did a great series on guardrails and how they are meant to protect relationships from outside influences that can adversely affect them.
One of the facts he mentioned about guardrails is that they are inside the boundary of prevention. The guardrail isn’t placed in the area off the road where the danger is located, but put before that area to prevent the real hazard from occurring. That’s how we should treat our relationship. By instilling boundaries, which give us the much needed time to think before we act, we can prevent issues from arising. Also, they provide us the opportunity to make others; our spouse, trusted friends, etc. aware of the situation and to gather support and wisdom on how to handle the circumstances.
Pretty packages are often attractive and alluring. However, the contents can sometimes be very hazardous to one’s health and mental well-being. Once an infidelity happens, the feelings and thoughts about it can be very destructive to a marriage. Trust is broken, and that may take a long time to regain. The pain and hurt are often hurdles that some individuals can’t find themselves having the willingness, or desire, for which to find forgiveness. Therefore, it’s imperative to instill the guardrails that assist in helping one to stay on the appropriate path, and maintain the kind of relationship that is healthy and long lasting.
Mark Ellison, LAMFT |