If you could stop a potentially lethal virus before it had time to incubate, grow and release its dangerous effects you would. Although you see the danger of physical threats to your family, you do not always see the dangers of relational, spiritual and emotional threats like those posed by affairs. Rather than take threats seriously many potential cheaters fantasize about and joke about affairs prior to them happening. When you see the fantasizing, daydreaming or the joking about affairs, it could be that you are already in the incubation period. Hard hearted cheaters do not just appear one day. They develop over time. They grow calloused to effects of adultery. That callousness often starts as jokes and ridicule. Although they appear non-threatening, with each joke and mocking regarding cheating, they turn down their sensitivity to the issue joke by joke. Each ridicule, sarcastic comment or mocking gesture hardens their heart little by little. When their heart is hardened enough, then an affair is viewed as ‘no big deal’. They view the act as ‘natural’ and see nothing wrong with it.
Jokes and mockings about affairs are like turn signals alerting you to possible changes that are coming. If you laugh with them, it is often seen as approval of what they are jesting about. The cheater may even see your laughing at their comment as approval of infidelity. Since you thought it was funny, then they may view you as open to it happening. From working with affairs, some cheaters and seducers soften up their targets and support system before they act. The jokes are often part of the softening up program. If they are not softening you up to be seduced, they may be softening you up to accept their cheating.
Best Regards,
Jeff Murrah
