Dear Dr. David:

I have just read your article on the crosswalk.com. I hope you can help me with my problem. I am a Christian woman who has been married for fifteen years. During the fifteen years of my marriage my husband has cheated on me several times. I have threatened to leave him but he has said that he will not have it. My husband attends church but does not live by the principles of being a Christian. In the last year or so, he has promised me that he will never cheat on me again, but I now have the problem that I cannot get myself to trust him. I have not noticed any significant change in his behavior--he is very secretive about his finances. We hardly ever talk about our problems and he wants me to behave as if nothing ever happened. I now find it difficult to be intimate with him because there is always this dark cloud hanging over us. This situation has made me very sad and depressed. How am I supposed to deal with this? ~ Insecure

Dear Insecure:

Your letter indicates that you have been traumatized repeatedly by infidelity. This is enough to cause incredible pain and anguish in most people. Those whose marriages have been damaged by unfaithfulness know your pain-there is little as hurtful as unfaithfulness. There is a tear in the sacred fabric of your marriage.

I am concerned that you threaten to leave him, but do not follow through. Remember, a boundary without consequences is no boundary. If you are going to threaten a separation because of his unfaithfulness, you need to follow through. To do less risks him not taking you seriously and losing respect for you.

You also note that you two don’t talk about your problems. This is like trying to pretend there is no stinky elephant walking around your living room. It is hard to ignore. Those who have committed infidelity often want to ignore the severity of their problems. Yet, this should not happen. You must talk about the circumstances in your marriage, and in him, that allow for these behaviors. Don’t enable him to continue ignoring the problem.

To make matters worse, your husband is not helping you to heal from the trauma. You note that he simply wants to behave as if nothing has happened. This is not scriptural and cannot work. Confrontation is needed. The Apostle Paul says, "If someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently." (Galatians 6: 1) There is a process to restoration, which includes him accepting responsibility for the offense and the severity of it. It requires him making amends to those who have been harmed, leading to forgiveness and ultimate restoration. It does not mean simply ignoring the problem and forgetting about it.

Finally, you note that he remains secretive. His affairs have been secrets, and this must change. There were undoubtedly other secretive behaviors as well which need attention. His secretive behaviors are likely to keep you feeling distrustful, stopping any possibility for healing and healthy intimacy in your marriage. Healthy relationships are marked by openness and trust, and boundaries of protection from harm in the future. I encourage you to insist on marriage counseling where you can talk about the affairs, learn about the circumstances and problems leading up to them, and discover ways to create health and safety in your marriage.

Dear Dr. David: