God@Work

The second-born of six children, Rebecca Warren grew up as the daughter of a pastor in what she describes as a typical Christian home. She attended church and youth group regularly. Rebecca remembers seeing a reenactment of Jesus dying on the cross when she was eleven years old. She leaned in and whispered to a friend, “That’s just fake blood they’re using.” The friend responded, “Maybe so, but Jesus actually went through that for you. Think about it.” She went home that night and prayed to accept Jesus Christ as her Savior.

Looking back, Rebecca recognizes that she still didn’t fully comprehend God’s grace. “My relationship with God was based on rules. Follow the rules, and do what you’re supposed to do, or you’ll be punished. This was my understanding of God, and it missed the mark entirely. Because I didn’t understand God’s grace, I traveled down a path of rebellion.”

“Because I didn’t understand God’s grace, I traveled down a path of rebellion.”

Rebecca would eventually come to an understanding of God’s grace because her rebellion would lead her to a place in which she desperately needed to experience it.

The Slow Fade

“I met my husband at work in my early twenties. We got married and started our life together, expanding our family with four children. During this season of life, I grew farther and farther away from God, kind of doing my own thing.”

“My husband grew up in an abusive household. He was raised completely differently from the way I was raised, and this resulted in a lot of conflicts. I
was miserable and I blamed him for all my problems.”

Rebecca’s increasing distance from God, her frustration with her marriage, and her determination to live life on her own terms resulted in a devastating blow to her family: Rebecca became involved in an extramarital affair.

“I went looking for happiness outside my marriage. I had an affair, and I also began speaking to men online through various means.”

Rebecca couldn’t hide her betrayal for long. Her husband discovered her affair, and her marriage deteriorated even more.

“When my husband found out about the affair, I was still very bitter and angry. I wasn’t willing to admit my wrongdoings and deal with the consequences of my actions.”

Rebecca went on to have another affair. When this one came to light as well, she was at rock bottom. It was a dark time for her marriage, for her personal life, and for her entire family.

“I thank God that my husband Robert chose to extend grace to me by staying and working things out.”

Hope and Healing

After the second affair was discovered, Rebecca reached out for help and began attending the Women’s Redemption Group at FAC. Her involvement with this group helped her to finally grasp God’s love and grace. “It was a place where other women could relate to what I was going through. They helped me to understand God’s love for me. They also helped me to understand God’s forgiveness.”

Rebecca pinpoints her participation in this group as a point at which she no longer felt alone in her struggle. Through the fellowship she found in the
Women’s Redemption Group, Rebecca came to a clearer understanding of how to accept God’s forgiveness for herself and turn away from her rebellious
choices. Her relationship with the Lord became intimate, perhaps for the first time in her life.

Rebecca and her husband also sought to heal their relationship. They received marriage counseling through the church, and have been working for several years now to repair the damage of the affairs.

Rebecca emphasizes that her husband’s choice to remain committed and work on their marriage has been a true model of Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

There is HOPE for HEALING!

“I thank God that my husband chose to extend grace to me by staying and working things out.”

Living in Grace

Rebecca has now fully experienced God’s mercy and grace, and she is living as someone who is dearly loved and forgiven. However, she must still face the practical consequences of the decisions she made when she was living for herself.

“I have learned to be very humble. It is a continual process to repair the damage done by the affairs. I wake up every day with the goal of living intentionally to earn the trust of my husband, my children, my family, and my friends.”

“The decisions I made were life-altering. Now and in the future, I must make a daily decision to live a life that honors God, especially when it comes to my marriage. I’m very thankful for the resources FAC provided to help me get to where I am today.”

Rebecca wants other women who are facing similar circumstances to know that there is hope for healing.

“Struggling with purity can be so isolating as a woman. It’s something you don’t talk about. The Redemption Group provided a safe place to be open. God has brought me so much grace, redemption, love, and acceptance through this group. I would encourage any woman who needs help in this area to come out and take the first step toward redemption.” †

The Women’s Redemption Group

The Women’s Redemption Group is for women who struggle with emotional and/or physical temptation. For more information about this confidential group, please contact puritywomen@myfac.org. For a list of all the support groups we offer at FAC, [click here].