I was married for almost twenty years. I got involved several times with married women, and they ended up getting divorced from their husbands. As a result, my own marriage ended. I also had sexual relations that were a high risk to my health and my emotional stability… which now affect my mind, my soul, and my body. I have a great deal of regret for having caused several divorces in addition to my own, with children involved.

God’s forgiveness is great. Can the women and their respective children be restored? Will my children’s love and mercy extend to me? Will I be able to restore my soul and my physical body in spite of all the damage that I have done?

Dear Friend,

Your story is a sad one. You are facing many negative consequences for your failure to obey God’s law. If only you had been faithful to your wife! If only you had lived your life in the way God prescribes! So many lives would have been different! So much pain could have been avoided! And so many children could have grown up living with their fathers as well as their mothers!

But it is too late for that now. You made wrong choices. You have suffered. And the women have suffered. But even worse, those defenseless children have also suffered, and they will continue to face the consequences for the rest of their lives.

You ask if the women and children can be restored. The only way for you to facilitate that is to break off all relationships with them. However, if you have fathered children with certain women, and if their husbands do not accept those children as their own, then you must be a responsible parent, both emotionally and financially. It won’t be easy, but don’t let the enormity of the task cause you to give up.

You also ask if your children’s love and mercy will extend to you. The answer is: That is not God’s responsibility. It depends completely on you. Will you show those children love by spending time with them and providing for their physical needs? Will you be the kind of man that they can respect? Will you always tell the truth to them and keep your promises? Children tend to be very forgiving, but you must do your part.

Finally, you ask if you will be able to restore your physical body and your soul. Though God can and does heal disease, He rarely takes away the natural consequences of our actions. You admit that your body is suffering from the consequences of your choices, so God will not likely take those consequences away from you. However, there is good news. God is ready and willing to restore your soul! He will wash away your sin if you are truly sorry for what you have done and if you believe that Jesus Christ, His Son, died on the cross to pay for your sin. Ask Him to forgive you and to give you the strength and wisdom to make wise choices in the future. Read the Bible and pray to learn how to live within His laws. And determine to make a new life for yourself based on those principles.

We wish you the best,

Linda