Putting God First: An Overview of Christian Divorce Mediation


Divorce is a heart-wrenching and difficult process, even for Christians who strive to follow God’s teachings. While the Bible permits divorce under specific circumstances, it also emphasizes the importance of seeking reconciliation and forgiveness whenever possible. In light of this, Christian divorce mediation offers an alternative to traditional divorce proceedings that prioritizes God’s will and encourages peaceful resolution.

What is Christian Divorce Mediation?

Christian divorce mediation is a process in which couples work together to dissolve their marriage with a focus on finding mutually agreeable solutions that honor God’s word. Instead of battling in court over custody, property, and financial issues, a trained Christian mediator helps the couple communicate, compromise, and cooperate towards a resolution that benefits both parties as well as their children and community.

Why Choose Christian Divorce Mediation?

There are many compelling reasons to choose Christian divorce mediation over traditional divorce proceedings. Firstly, Christian mediation allows couples to maintain a focus on God’s teachings and values throughout the process, which can help them find healing and forgiveness rather than bitterness and anger. Secondly, mediation is usually less costly, less time-consuming, and less adversarial than going to court, which means less stress, trauma, and disruption to the couple’s lives and relationships. Thirdly, Christian divorce mediation prioritizes the children’s wellbeing by encouraging parents to work together for their sake and minimize conflict and pain.

What are the Steps of Christian Divorce Mediation?

The following are the typical steps of Christian divorce mediation:

1. Meet with a mediator: The couple meets with an experienced Christian mediator who listens to their concerns, goals, and wishes, and explains the mediation process and its benefits.

2. Identify the issues: The mediator helps the couple identify the legal, financial, and custodial issues that need to be resolved and divide them into manageable categories.

3. Gather information: The couple gathers all the necessary documents, such as financial statements, property deeds, and custody schedules, and shares them with each other and the mediator.

4. Generate options: The mediator guides the couple to brainstorm ideas and options for resolving each issue and facilitates creative problem-solving and compromise.

5. Evaluate options: The couple evaluates each option based on its feasibility, fairness, and alignment with God’s will, and narrows down the choices until they reach an agreement.

6. Draft a settlement agreement: The mediator helps the couple draft a legally binding settlement agreement that covers all the issues and reflects their intentions and values.

7. File for divorce: The couple takes the settlement agreement to court and files for divorce, accompanied by the mediator’s recommendations and support.

What are the Benefits of Christian Divorce Mediation?

Christian divorce mediation offers numerous benefits to couples who want to put God first in their divorce process, such as:

1. Minimizing conflict and pain: Mediation can reduce the emotional and psychological damage that divorce can cause by creating a peaceful and respectful environment for resolving differences.

2. Promoting cooperation and understanding: Mediation can cultivate empathy, understanding, and cooperation between divorcing spouses, which can help them stay connected as co-parents and human beings.

3. Upholding Christian values: Mediation allows couples to apply Christian values such as forgiveness, integrity, and compassion to the divorce process, which can pave the way for healing and growth.

4. Saving time and money: Mediation is usually faster and less expensive than going to court, which means more resources for rebuilding one’s life and moving forward.

5. Prioritizing the children’s needs: Mediation focuses on the children’s best interests instead of the parents’ desires or conflicts, which can reduce the trauma and negative outcomes of divorce for kids.

In Conclusion

Putting God first in divorce may seem hard, but Christian divorce mediation can provide a way to honor God’s word and seek reconciliation and forgiveness. By choosing mediation, couples can reduce conflict and pain, promote cooperation and understanding, uphold Christian values, save time and money, and prioritize the children’s needs. May God bless couples who choose to handle divorce with grace and love.

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