ARE YOU HAVING AN EMOTIONAL AFFAIR?
If anybody asks you this question, you may go angry or livid because it sounds so insulting. Why? You are never the type of person that would have an affair outside your relationship/marriage.
Well, that is because you do not know what an Emotional Affair is.
Emotional Affair does not involve SEX. It happens to people who are in courtship or engaged or married or very fond of somebody else who is not your spouse, but if care is not taken and brake not applied, it can lead to a full blown Sexual Affair.
Emotional Affair does not only happen to people in bad, unhappy marriages. It can happen to happy couples, morally sound people and deeply spiritual individuals who love God with all their hearts and hate sin. It can even happen to great men and women of God.
How then do they fall into Emotional Affair?
Emotional Affair is not easy to detect at the beginning. It all starts as plain, platonic friendship with the opposite sex, whom you exchange ideas with and find admirable -that’s all!
The friend can be a colleague at work, a fellow worker, a church member, a course mate, the secretary to the boss at the office, or the next door neighbour, etc etc etc. They are someone you find attractive and always enjoy talking to.
If you treat them like you treat any normal friend with no strings attatched, there is no problem, but if you are SECRETLY fond of them, there is a BIG problem.
Emotional Affair starts rearing its ugly head if you are always eager to see them, always anxious to hear from them, and you feel sad if a day passes without getting in touch with them.
It escalates when you begin sharing deep personal issues, especially relational or marital problems and you find their words very soothing – it’s like Valium, you can’t sleep without it!!!
It progresses when there is subtle flirty compliments (like: “Each time I see you, I always feel like hugging you”, or “Can I give you a peck/hug please?”) etc etc etc…such sweet name-calling, and you never do anything to stop them.
Infact, you love it and always look forward to hearing more from him/her.
You idolize him/her while comparing him/her with your spouse, who always falls short.
You see them as your comforter, healer and the only one who UNDERSTANDS you!!!
You begin to keep your conversations with them a secret from your spouse and deny every accusation of having any affair with them (since, of course, you are NOT having sex with them).
You have chemistry for them and always sexually charged when thinking about them or talking to them.
Now, PULL A BREAK!!!
You are threading on a very dangerous path while consoling yourself that you are NOT having Sex.
Most people, especially good people, do not plan cheating or committing adultery, it “just” happens when all red flags are ignored.
Face the fact that your relationship or marriage is sick that is why you are attracted to someone else and fix the problem.
If you do not deal with your relationship/marital issues, you will keep pursuing them and end up sleeping with them, and that is the beginning of the end of your relationship/marriage.
Pull back from that person and avoid discussing anything personal with him/her henceforth.
Come clean to your spouse and let him/her know you are getting attracted to someone else and you need their help. (You don’t need to give them the full detail of your attraction).
Stop all chats, be very polite with their calls or ignore their calls altogether if you get tempted to go back.
Understand why you fell into Emotional Affair and take precautions lest you fall into another one.
Know that, you’re human and it’s very possible to feel attracted towards the opposite sex, just don’t pursue your object of attraction.
Set boundaries. Do not entertain ungodly relationships.
Have a full understanding of Emotional Affair and protect your heart from being tempted.
Remember the bible says: “Let he that thinketh he standeth, take heed, lest he fall.”
To help prevent Emotional Affair, dedicate yourself even more to loving your spouse.
Make your marriage great. Be playful and lively with him/her. Just teach yourself to be happy with each other. Nurture your marriage/relationship every way you can!!!
As you find yourself spending more and more time with your spouse, you’ll likely find your attraction to the other person diminishing.
Take charge of your life, do not leave your relationships to chance!
#copied.
