Years ago I committed a staggering act of infidelity. This selfish act contributed to the loss of my marriage and left many people hurt, including those I loved most. To make matters worse, I knew better. I had been raised a Christian Scientist. I’d had Christian Science class instruction. I knew the Ten Commandments. I broke them anyway.
My willingness not only to harbor thoughts of temptation, but also to act on them, left me shocked. My former image of myself, which had included a hefty dose of pride and vanity, was shattered. I felt like the hypocritical Pharisee in Christ Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and publican who went up to the temple to pray (see Luke 18:9–14).
As I saw the hurt I’d caused others, a sharp sense of sorrow came quickly, as did a tearful apology to my loved ones. But what came quite slowly, and took persistent, daily effort, was reformation. This finally came only through consistent, consecrated prayer—prayer to lift me out of the hole of guilt and regret, to help me see my true spiritual identity as innocent, pure, and entirely separate from any act of infidelity.
