Loving a Broken Man

My husband, Joe had the phone to his ear when he walked in the door. “One of my guys,” he mouthed. By the look on his face I imagined that one of the men from his group was struggling. Joe walked into the bedroom to finish the conversation.

Joe leads a support group for men. They meet every week to help each other find freedom from sexual brokenness and regain control of their lives. They want to be better men, to be the men their wives and God want them to be. Sometimes one of the men may fall. If he is serious about his healing, he will be honest with his accountability brothers and his wife. Then pick himself up and start again.

My heart goes out to the wife. Once again, she must face the harsh reality of her husband’s battle. Hopefully, she has a group of women to turn to in times like this. How do we protect ourselves from the painful truths of our husband’s journey? How do we do the right thing for ourselves and still love these men God has given us.

The only way I have found, is to trust God’s plan for Joe. When he slips, I am afraid. Psalm 56:3 says, When I am afraid, I put my trust in You. That is my only recourse if I want to love and support my husband.  If I allow God to guard my heart, he will give me the strength I need to love an imperfect man.