August 10
Faithful
or Free?
"All of you should honor marriage. You should keep the marriage bed pure. God will judge people who commit adultery."
Hebrews 13:4 (NIrV)
Imogen sat stiffly at the bar, swirling the straw in her half-melted cocktail. Across the room, Ray leaned in close to Rachel, their so-called “mutual friend,” whispering something in her ear. Rachel threw her head back and laughed, her hand resting just a little too long on Ray’s arm. Imogen gritted her teeth. She was supposed to be fine with this. She knew where Ray and Rachel would end up tonight.
This was their agreement. The thing they had decided together. A marriage without limits. No chains, no jealousy. Just openness. Honesty. Freedom.
What a joke.
The first time Ray had brought up the idea of an open marriage, she had laughed. Then she had argued. Then, finally, she had convinced herself it was fine. Better to say yes than to watch him sneak behind her back like so many other men did. If she agreed, at least she had control.
But what kind of control was this? Sitting alone while her husband whispered in another woman’s ear? Pretending that the pit in her stomach was something other than disgust?
Imogen slammed her drink down and grabbed her purse. She didn’t even say goodbye—what was the point? Ray was too busy drinking in Rachel’s attention to notice anyway.
By the time she got home, the house felt emptier than usual. Cold. Sterile. Just a place where she and Ray existed together, not where they truly belonged to each other.
She kicked off her heels and sank onto the couch. Her phone buzzed—Ray, probably texting to say he was staying out later. She ignored it and scrolled mindlessly.
Then, out of nowhere, a Bible verse popped up in a post.
"All of you should honor marriage. You should keep the marriage bed pure."
Her breath caught.
Marriage. Honor. Purity.
She had spent so long telling herself this wasn’t wrong, that as long as they were honest, no one was getting hurt. But she was hurt. And more than that—she was ashamed.
Was this really what God had meant when He created marriage? Two people treating their vows like fine print, twisting them into something convenient?
Imogen buried her face in her hands.
God, I feel so lost. I don’t want this anymore. I want my husband back. I want my marriage back. But I don’t even know if that’s possible.
The front door creaked open. Ray. He was home.
Imogen stood, her heart pounding. For the first time, she wasn’t going to shove this down. Wasn’t going to pretend.
She turned to face him. "Ray, we need to talk. This whole thing… It’s stupid. And I’m done."
Ray frowned, confused. "Im, we agreed—"
"No. You wanted this, and I went along with it because I was afraid of losing you. But I have lost you. And I think I lost myself too."
For a moment, he just stared at her. Then, something shifted in his expression—like maybe, just maybe, he had been waiting for her to say it.
Imogen swallowed hard. "I want our marriage back. The way God intended it to be. No one else. Just us."
Silence. A long, heavy silence. Then, finally, Ray let out a slow breath and ran a hand through his hair.
"Okay."
It was only one word, but it was enough.
Prayer:
Lord, I know that when we twist Your design for love, it only leads to brokenness.
Help me to honor the commitment I made, even when the world tells me it’s outdated.
Give me the strength to fight for what is right, to reject what is easy, and to trust that Your way is the only way that leads to true joy.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
