What causes stress in marriage? Money problems rank high in causing marital stress and breakdowns. Tragedy; the trauma of losing a loved one in the family can put great stress on a marriage. This is compounded if there are a number of family members lost.
Physical illness tests not only the one enduring the pain, but also others affected by caring for the ill one. This is especially true when a condition drags out indefinitely.
When stress causes one to say things to a spouse they wouldn’t under normal circumstances say, the spouse is tempted to respond in kind. Job’s wife lashed out at him and his faith in Job 2:9: “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!” Her thinking no doubt was: Any God who would allow all this to one who follows Him with integrity isn’t worth trusting. Frustration led to foolishness. Often angry words spoken to each other in marriage are the venting of deep frustration caused by the pain of losing what has been significant to us. Job knew the most significant thing to him was his relationship with God.
You don’t read about Job’s wife again. Did she leave him? Did she give him the silent treatment? Was the stress of circumstances too great for her to bear and she succumbed under pressure? Whatever, Job, while experiencing compounding tests to his faith, experienced the marital test when his wife encouraged him to forsake integrity and curse God.
He endured the test by remaining faithful to God. You can too, if like Job, you keep God first in your life.
