Contingency (Covenant of Trust) Read Online Free PDF

to appear successful and in command.
    Chuck stood well before Phil made it across the lobby, but he never raised his eyes. Phil stopped an arm’s length away and extended his hand. Chuck hesitated, but as soon as he made a move to shake hands, Phil pulled him into a hug. “How are you, Chuck?”
    “You’ve talked to Bobbi?” Chuck took a seat, and Phil followed his lead.
    “I just came from there.”
    “Then you know what I’m up against. How do I keep her from leaving me?”
    He watched Chuck perched on the edge of his seat, ready to hear a failsafe strategy, some quick, three-step plan to restoration. Phil intended to shatter that idea. “Do you want to leave Bobbi?”
    “What? Leave? Does she think I want—?”
    Phil’s raised hand to cut him off. “Do you want to restore your marriage?”
    “Of course, Phil, I—”
    “Will you listen to me and do what I advise you to do?” Phil softened his tone. “Or at least consider my advice?”
    “How was Bobbi?” Chuck asked. “Do I have any hope?”
    “You’ve got a hard road ahead. She’s hurt … bewildered … angry.” Phil leaned back in the chair. “But, I don’t think it’s hopeless by any means. Although Biblically speaking, Bobbi may be within her rights to divorce you, she didn’t say she wanted a divorce outright.”
    “Thank God.”
    “Speaking of God, have you approached God about this?”
    “Kind of.”
    “That’s your first priority. Until you confess this adultery to God, and repent and get His forgiveness, you’re not going to get anywhere.” He leaned forward again. “Let me back up a step.” He fixed his eyes on Chuck’s. “Do you genuinely believe in Jesus Christ?”
    “Of course. Just because ... That doesn’t mean ... Why?”
    “It’s different when an unbelieving man cheats on his wife. The approach to restoration is different. Plus, a believer has additional accountabilities.” As he spoke, Phil began to count on his fingers. “To the Lord first, but also to his church.”
    “What are you talking about?”
    “I mean as a believer, you answer to the church as well. Your sin was public, or soon will be, so you’ve got to make it right ... publicly.” Phil let that statement hang. Chuck’s eyes widened as it sunk in.
    “You want me to go in front of the church? I’ll get eaten alive! I can just see me up there trying to stammer through a confession with a hundred freelance judges scowling at me. With all due respect, Phil, that’s beyond crazy.”
    “You might be surprised.” Phil leaned all the way back in the overstuffed chair, sliding his hands behind his head.
    “I might not.”
    “You asked me how to keep your wife from leaving you.” Phil dropped his hands down to the armrests. “That’s where you start. You confess it, renounce it, and get your church family behind you.”
    “What about Bobbi? This is between us. Shouldn’t I be dealing with her?”
    “You can’t demand grace, Chuck. You have to wait until she offers it.”
    “How do I get her to do that?”
    “You’re not listening to me. You can’t.” Phil leaned forward and looked Chuck in the eye. “In this short time, I’ve noticed something very significant. In fact, it’s going to be the key to what happens next.” He had Chuck’s undivided attention now. “You don’t love your wife.”
    Chuck jerked himself to his feet. “Of course I do! Where do you get off—?”
    “Then why didn’t you tell Bobbi you loved her when you got home?”
    “She wouldn’t let me! She unloaded on me as soon as I walked in!”
    “Since I got here, the focus of your conversation has been on yourself, and you never mentioned to me that you loved her.”
    Chuck dropped back in the chair. “That’s not fair. All I can think about is making sure I still have a wife.”
    “And you won’t, unless you give up this self-centered imitation love, and learn how to love her sacrificially. We can’t restore the marriage you had. We have to rebuild