This post may contain affiliate links. Read the disclosure here.
How long do I have to wait for God to restore my marriage?
This is a question I’ve heard quite a bit, recently. I’ve read it in blog comments, emails, and from people in my personal life.
The truth is, waiting on your marriage to be restored is hard work. It involves trust in God and His timing, laying aside our own wants and desires, and holding onto hope despite the world screaming loudly to just let go.
Getting up each day to face a situation that we don’t like is so difficult, but the unknown of how it will turn out - and when we might see restoration - adds to that difficulty.
So how do you press on, day by day, as you wait for God to restore and redeem your marriage?
I’m sharing some tips from my own life today, in no particular order.
3 Ways to Wait While God Restores My Marriage
1. Shake It Up
I love routines. I am a creature of habit, and I don’t like change, especially when that change is out of my control.
Waiting on a spouse to decide they do want to stay in the marriage is certainly out of our control.
During the hardest times in my marriage, it was easy for me to fall back on those routines. After a while, though, I noticed something else starting to happen.
While going through my daily routines, the doubts, the negative thoughts and the heartache crept in easily, often without me noticing it. I’d go through several days wondering why I was feeling so down. That’s when I noticed the negative feelings creeping in to my heart with my daily routines.
So - I had to shake it up!
I started to change my routines so that my thoughts wouldn’t be so automatic as they were with my regular routines. As doubts crept in, I worked hard to notice them and then I prayed. I simply prayed the name of Jesus over and over. His name was the only prayer strong enough to combat my worries and fears.
2. Jesus - Early and Often
My morning routine was to wake up, wash my face and drink my coffee. Usually, I eased into my day, did schoolwork with the kids, went to work, completed housework and went to sleep. Early on, I realized that this would not work; I would not survive the impact of our marital issues without Jesus, so I had to start at the beginning of the day.
To be honest, in-depth Bible study was difficult, simply because it was hard to focus on large chunks of reading. I decided to work on smaller chunks of the Bible and wrote out some verses to memorize.
My day needed to start with Jesus, so I placed these verses in strategic locations where I would be reminded of God’s grace even before my day started. I made it a point to sit on the side of my bed each morning, look out at the back yard and thank God for a new day. I turned the chore of washing dishes into an opportunity to pray. Folding laundry became an opportunity to thank God for each family member. Even social media turned into a way to gather favorite verses all in one place.
As I intentionally took Jesus through every part of my day, it became easier to focus on Him instead of being completely devoured by my problems.
3. Move Ahead
“Moving ahead” does not seem like a way to wait while God restores my marriage, but the reality is that it’s another step of faith and trust in Him.
When our situation got to the point where it was completely out of my control, I realized that I had a few options:
*Divorce my husband and need to hit the ground running to provide for my family
*Stay in bed and watch my life fade away
*Begin to put one foot in front of the other and trust that God would do what He said
I came to the point where I realized that either I had to trust God, believe He would care for me, have faith that He would lead me - OR - I had to throw in the towel on my faith and close the door on God.
While divorce was an option, I wasn’t ready to take my kids from their father if there was any other way. The option to stay in bed and watch my life pass by was viable and for a while I did that.
Moving forward, though, stepping back into life, was scary. I had no guarantee that anything would get better. God asked me to wait, but I was not sure how things would ultimately turn out. I realized the only way out of my situation was to get through it, so I determined to move ahead. I told God that if my marriage was to be saved, He was going to have to do it.
Over the years He has done that, but I really believe it’s because I decided to move forward in faith with Him.
Psalm 16:8 became a verse I clung to -
I have set the LORD always before me:
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
Friends, we have a calling on our lives, each one of us.
The marital issues we struggle with are a small part of the entirety of our lives. I know they seem all-consuming right now, but consider them in the scope of your entire life. I’ll explain it as I heard it from Christine Caine at a women’s conference that I went to:
I will turn 42 this coming Saturday. While the story of my marital issues is the main story of my life right now, it’s not my whole life. It started 3 years ago, and Lord willing, it will come to an end soon. I have 39 years before these issues were a part of my story, and I hope to have many years after this where my marital issues will no longer be a part of my story. They will take up a small portion of my entire life, so why would I camp out in that tragedy rather than living in the years of blessing that God has given?
Isn’t that an interesting perspective? It reminds me of Romans 8:18 -
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Waiting while God restores your marriage can be difficult. We can wait in stress, in frustration, full of anxiety, or we can wait in proactive ways that keep us stepping out in faith with the Lord.
How are you waiting while God restores your marriage?
Click this link to fill out the short form for the Facebook group.
Sharing at Grace & Truth, Kelly Balarie, Holley Gerth, Dance with Jesus, LiveFree, #HeartEncouragement, Salt & Light, #MomentsofHope, #TellHisStory
Thank you so much, what a way to start my day. Sometimes when you focus on your problems they look so big but when you let God deal with them and you focus on God, He becomes so much bigger than anything else.
God bless you Becky
[Reply]
I too am being asked to wait, up I am 62 and feel time slipping quickly away, but God has His timing and He is sovereign
[Reply]
Thank you so much for sharing. I am in the waiting process also and have also chose to wait on God. It is so good to find someone who was hearing the same thing I am hearing from God and that is to wait. I also have grounds for divorce but don’t feel this is what God wants me to do. I pray that my marriage will also be restored in God’s timing like your situation.
[Reply]
Excellent post, friend! I love how you put these years of struggle into perspective. It feels soooo long in the moment, but in the scope of a lifetime, not so much! Love you!
Jen recently posted…Make Your Life Count: How One Ordinary Life Lived Well Can Make a Difference
[Reply]
I love this. Well, I hate that you’re having marital issues, that I do hate. But, I love the tips you’ve given. I especially love how you’ve found “odd” times to pray throughout the day. A great reminder that any prayer said, at any time, is a prayer heard!
[Reply]
Thank you for sharing these great tips!
Julie recently posted…Jesus- Why I Desperately Need You the Most
[Reply]
“I decided to move forward in faith with Him.” What a power testimony! I think that your decision to move forward in God is so important and pertinent for anyone going through a difficult time. Thanks for your willingness to share your story; I am sure many will be encouraged.
[Reply]
I could have written an article like this. Today I read it from the other side of long-awaited restoration and am awed and overwhelmingly thankful. There is hope! See what God has done!
[Reply]
This is good advice, especially “Jesus early and often”. I also love how you point out that issues we face are not our whole life. It is important to keep that perspective. Visiting from Coffee For Your Heart.
Lesley recently posted…April Reflections
[Reply]
I love this. Thanks for linking up today!
[Reply]
I found this link on Suzie’s blog. I needed this. My husband left 13 months ago, and has not filed for divorce. I’ve been trying figure out what God wants me to do now. I never thought of me waiting in Faith as moving forward. I’ve felt stuck and trapped. Thank you.
[Reply]
Rebekah, I’m sure it wasn’t easy to arrive at this place, but you have a wonderful perspective and I’m thankful I was able to read some of your story today. The part about changing up your routines to avoid those negative thought patterns-whatever they are about-is really helpful to me. #HeartEncouragementThursday
[Reply]
Rebekah- this is such wise, wise insight! And the fact that you’re writing because you’ve been there is so encouraging for others. When we go through hard times in marriage, we desperately want a quick fix, don’t we? It just doesn’t work that way, not if we want it to last anyway. It took my marriage around 5 years to be restored, but the journey and the “wait” was so very worth it when I see where we are today! Thank you for linking up at Salt & Light today!
Shannon Geurin recently posted…Why Being Part of a Tribe is Important (S & L linkup #1)
[Reply]
Rebekah Reply:
May 25th, 2017 at 2:35 pm
Yes, I hear from so many who would love a quick fix, but that’s not the way to anything permanent or lasting, you’re absolutely right! It’s so worth the time and energy we invest, to see the masterpiece that God can make!
[Reply]
I agree with all of this! As someone who went through divorce as a Christian wife, these are tips that I wish I started practicing more early on in the marriage. I love Romans 8:18. That is my life scripture in every situation. I leaned on that scripture in my first marriage and I truly believe in that verse.
[Reply]
Rebekah Reply:
May 25th, 2017 at 2:34 pm
That’s a great verse to tie in with this, yes! Thank you!
[Reply]
These “tips” are a wonderful foundation to face marriage issues, but also many other issues in life. A great encouragement today. (Stopping by from Salt and LIght link up)
[Reply]
Rebekah Reply:
May 25th, 2017 at 2:33 pm
Thank you for this encouragement. Yes, these tips have helped me in considering my children, friends, extended family. That’s a great thought!
[Reply]
My marital issues will forever be a part of my story. Day in and day out. Through an affair my husband got another woman pregnant. That child will ALWAYS be there. That reminder will ALWAYS be there. How do you handle marital problems that literally will be there for the rest of your life?
[Reply]
SETTING the Lord before us is such an intentional thing. I love the action-based focus of this post — we can’t wait for good feelings to catch up with us. Heavens! We might wait forever! May God strengthen us to act upon the truth we have and to trust Him with the outcome.
Michele Morin recently posted…10 Questions that Foster Thriving Friendships
[Reply]
Rebekah Reply:
June 20th, 2017 at 1:39 pm
Yes - intentional is a word that comes up often in this battle!
[Reply]