Author Lysa TerKeurst, Founder of Proverbs 31 Ministries, Announces Divorce
Proverbs 31 Ministries founder and president Lysa TerKeurst announced on social media Jan. 1 that she and her husband Art are getting divorced.
“I now believe the wisest (and hardest) choice I can make is to stop fighting to save my marriage of 29 years and, instead, accept reality,” she said in an Instagram post.
TerKeurst is the bestselling author of 22 books, including 2018’s “It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way: Finding Unexpected Strength When Disappointments Leave You Shattered,” in which she detailed the aftermath of discovering her husband’s infidelity, the process of grief and healing she went through during their separation, and their seeming relational restoration. In it she “unveils her heart amid shattering circumstances and shows readers how to live assured when life doesn’t turn out like they expected,” per the book description.
But TerKeurst said in her Instagram post that although she and her husband had renewed their wedding vows three years ago, the marriage could not survive “the devastation of what consistent deception of one spouse does to the other.”
She said she would keep the details of her husband’s continued infidelity private to protect her family—the couple has five adult children and several grandchildren—but that there was “clear biblical justification for my decision to end this marriage.”
“I’ve had to learn the hard way there’s a big difference between mistakes (which we all make) and chosen patterns of behavior that dishonor God and the biblical covenant of marriage,” she said.
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TerKeurst said relationship restoration doesn’t always work, and sometimes God’s answer to prayers is to rescue us out of relationships.
“I don’t understand why circumstances sometimes go the way my story is now going. But I’m standing firm in my faith and trusting God with every step. My family and I treasure your prayers and your compassion,” she said.
TerKeurst also said she is grateful for the power of forgiveness and God’s healing redemption.
“Bitterness and resentment could be eating me alive. But, miraculously, that’s not where I’m at. With time, prayer, and lots of counseling, my heart is healing,” she said.
Proverbs 31 Ministries offers a variety of online resources for Christian women, including Bible studies, a podcast, daily devotions, and an app. TerKeurst started the ministry in 1992 as a monthly newsletter and grew it to a ministry that now reaches half a million subscribers with its women’s devotion. She also is a public speaker and has made appearances on Focus on the Family, The 700 Club, and Oprah.
