Q. I am a married male with the addiction of looking for other women and committing adultery very often. I become very disloyal to my wife, despite going to confession. Many times, I am making the same mistake because of the addiction. Can I be saved by God by leaving this sinful life and turning to my Lord? Please reply.
A. This is a question that is ideally addressed more fully at your church by speaking with your priest or even with a good Catholic counselor. But here are a couple of brief thoughts that are important to understand to help point you in the right direction.
First, the Mercy of God is so perfect and so absolute that He deeply desires to free you from every sin. Committing adultery is a sin and can also become an addiction. When this happens, Confession is essential. But oftentimes the grace of Confession works best when the addiction is also confronted through other means. Try to make an appointment with your priest or seek out a good counselor. Another excellent resource is available here: www.reclaimsexualhealth.com. Please do visit this link and explore the wisdom offered by this ministry. Have hope and be diligent in seeking freedom.
Secondly, adultery causes deep hurt in marriage. Though God easily forgives when you sincerely confess to Him, don’t expect the hurt in your relationship with your spouse and other family members to be healed overnight. This is an unfair expectation of them. Healing is most certainly possible and reconciliation must be sought and hoped for, but it will require time, patience, mercy, forgiveness, and conversion. Don’t be overwhelmed by this; just have hope and commit yourself to doing whatever you need to do so as to bring about healing and a restoration of trust. It might take weeks, months or even years, but seeking this honest reconciliation is essential.
Have hope! And do not use the addiction as an excuse. That might be hard to accept, but it is essential that you take responsibility for your actions. Do this within the context of God’s Mercy and unlimited power to free you from every sin. Trust in Him and surrender your life to Him every day. If you do, the Lord will not let you down.
And, again, please do visit this link. You will find much good information here to help: www.reclaimsexualhealth.com