Marriage is sacred but if your partner is abusive - they're the one who broke the marriage covenant, not the person who leaves

October is Domestic Abuse Awareness month, writer Louise shares her thoughts on divorce in the context of an abusive marriage.

As Christian women, we cherish the sanctity of marriage. In the letter of Paul to the Ephesians he writes: "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church." Ephesians 5:25. However, there are times when husbands do not love their wives as Christ loved the Church and the sacred bond of marriage becomes ensnared in the web of domestic abuse. In these cases, separation and divorce are both a necessity and a blessing.

Divorce is a taboo in many Christian circles. As believers, instead of empowering young men and women to seek out and foster healthy relationships, we can become too focused on purity culture, sexuality, and premarital sex. These conversations are important, but the shame attached to them can be toxic and may lead to young people not understanding how to develop a healthy relationship. Spoiler: just because you have waited until marriage to have sex, doesn’t mean your relationship is healthy!