Pro-Tip: Cheater attendance does not mean the affair is over! - Divorce Minister

Skip to content

Just because a cheater has agreed to see a Christian counselor or pastor to work on the marriage does not necessarily mean the cheater has ended the affair.

It boggles my mind to think a cheater would attend Christian marriage counseling with a therapist or pastor while secretly continuing to cheat. But it happens!

I know of several situations where this happened. And I bet more readers of the blog could share their own horror stories confirming this awful phenomenon.

-Surely, someone who attends marriage counseling wouldn’t continue committing adultery?

-Surely, they understand that they are sabotaging the effort by doing so and wasting everyone’s time?

-Surely, a spouse could not be that cold-hearted and cruel towards his or her partner as to give them false hope?

Some cheaters are that cruel.

Some cheaters have no problem cheating through the whole time with the pastor and Christian counselor never the wiser.

Some cheaters see attending these sessions as another avenue to lash out at their partners and blame-shift upon them for the marriage’s end.

For someone who wants to believe in people’s best intentions, it may be shocking to realize these things. It may be difficult to realize that not everyone who attends marriage counseling is there to heal their marriage.

Some have more nefarious purposes like managing their images while attacking their partner verbally under the guise of helping the faithful partner “own their issues.”

Be wise, pastors:

*A version of this post ran previously.

Post navigation

Give

Subscribe to the Daybreak Devotions for Women

Be inspired by God's Word every day! Delivered to your inbox.


More from David Derksen

  • featureImage

    11 Years of Divorce Minister Blog! - Divorce Minister

    Today is the blog’s “birthday.” It’s hard to believe how fast time has flown! I launched this online ministry eleven years ago today with the hope to address a gap in resources for faithful spouses. What I experienced when I went through my own divorce from my Cheater was the absence of solid pastoral resources … Continue reading "11 Years of Divorce Minister Blog!"

    1 min read
  • featureImage

    Sinning (ex) in-laws - Divorce Minister

    Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. -Ephesians 6:4, NLT I wonder how many of us had interfering in-laws in our marriages that ended with our Cheater. Instead of instructing their own child in the ways of the Lord, they tried to control their son … Continue reading "Sinning (ex) in-laws"

    1 min read
  • featureImage

    I do NOT hate divorce! - Divorce Minister

    “For I hate divorce!” says the LORD, the God of Israel. “To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. “So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife.” -Malachi 2:16, NLT “The man who hates and divorces his wife,” says the LORD, the God of … Continue reading "I do NOT hate divorce!"

    2 min read
  • featureImage

    Others' disbelief is unhelpful - Divorce Minister

    For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. -Luke 8:17, NIV Discovering infidelity is disorienting. What a faithful spouse needs are clear heads. What a faithful spouse does NOT need is someone feeding their disbelief over the cheating. An … Continue reading "Others’ disbelief is unhelpful"

    2 min read
  • featureImage

    Buzz words of dismissal - Divorce Minister

    “Defensive,” “Over sensitive,” “emotional,” “up in your feelings,” etc. These are the sort of labels people make of victims in order to avoid the awkward work of looking at the actual misbehavior. It’s very dismissive of the pain faithful spouses are experiencing to treat them like this. I have experienced labels like these over the … Continue reading "Buzz words of dismissal"

    1 min read

Editor's Picks

More from David Derksen

  • featureImage

    11 Years of Divorce Minister Blog! - Divorce Minister

    Today is the blog’s “birthday.” It’s hard to believe how fast time has flown! I launched this online ministry eleven years ago today with the hope to address a gap in resources for faithful spouses. What I experienced when I went through my own divorce from my Cheater was the absence of solid pastoral resources … Continue reading "11 Years of Divorce Minister Blog!"

    1 min read
  • featureImage

    Sinning (ex) in-laws - Divorce Minister

    Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. -Ephesians 6:4, NLT I wonder how many of us had interfering in-laws in our marriages that ended with our Cheater. Instead of instructing their own child in the ways of the Lord, they tried to control their son … Continue reading "Sinning (ex) in-laws"

    1 min read
  • featureImage

    I do NOT hate divorce! - Divorce Minister

    “For I hate divorce!” says the LORD, the God of Israel. “To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. “So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife.” -Malachi 2:16, NLT “The man who hates and divorces his wife,” says the LORD, the God of … Continue reading "I do NOT hate divorce!"

    2 min read
  • featureImage

    Others' disbelief is unhelpful - Divorce Minister

    For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. -Luke 8:17, NIV Discovering infidelity is disorienting. What a faithful spouse needs are clear heads. What a faithful spouse does NOT need is someone feeding their disbelief over the cheating. An … Continue reading "Others’ disbelief is unhelpful"

    2 min read
  • featureImage

    Buzz words of dismissal - Divorce Minister

    “Defensive,” “Over sensitive,” “emotional,” “up in your feelings,” etc. These are the sort of labels people make of victims in order to avoid the awkward work of looking at the actual misbehavior. It’s very dismissive of the pain faithful spouses are experiencing to treat them like this. I have experienced labels like these over the … Continue reading "Buzz words of dismissal"

    1 min read