The first place to start when considering divorce is to consider marriage. This special covenant between a man and a woman is a work of God and should never be ended lightly. One should not try to find ways to divorce one’s spouse. One should instead work for ways to reconcile a troubled marriage. But while divorce is far too common in our society, there are times when a man or woman is justified in divorcing his or her spouse. Certainly in the case of adultery the offended spouse would be justified if he or she decided to divorce, but other cases of marital failing can also justify a divorce. Examples would be abuse and neglect. But only in the case of adultery are the individuals allowed to remarry. A divorce is a legal proceeding in which the state recognizes the dissolution of a marriage but God only recognizes a marriage’s end when a spouse dies or if a spouse commits adultery. For example, a woman might divorce her abusive husband for the safety of her and her children but she is not automatically allowed to remarry (see the discussion below for an example of when she might be permitted to remarry). She should seek reconciliation where her husband repents and turns from his violence.