#WednesdayWisdom #017: Israel Houghton Responds to Pictures of He and His New Girlfriend Making-out

Israel Houghton responds to pictures of he and his new girlfriend…The Real’s, Adrienne Bailon…making out at a beach in Mexico.

Photos from www.LoveBScott.com

#WednesdayWisdom

When your relationship is facing public controversy, clear and open communication, with an attitude of “WHAT?”, is the key getting ahead of the situation and silencing the critics.

This was smart. Israel needed to get out in front of this and address the issue of why he was seen making-out at a beach in Mexico a few weeks after announcing his divorce from his wife of 20 years.

And he did that by clearly and openly communicating what’s going on in those pictures. And he didn’t do it in a whinny, “leave me alone” kinda voice. He carried it like, “WHAT? I have nothing to hide! This is my new girl! WHAT?”

Then he gave just enough backstory and details about the timeline to shutdown the suspicion of whether Adrienne was the woman with whom he cheated on his wife. Dead-ed! Next he affirms his woman’s integrity and character…while reaffirming ownership of his past failings…leaving self-righteous onlookers with the WHAT? look. I Love it!

Now that’s leadership Adrienne can trust!

In the past, I was very critical of Israel letting his marriage fail. And yes…I rightly judged him for it. But not because he cheated. The bible says marriage is a representation of the relationship between Christ and the Church, according to Ephesians 5:32. Did Christ ever leave the church? No.

So…as a minister of the gospel (through music), and as the initiator of his marriage (by asking her to marry him), I believe Israel should have done whatever it took to work through the infidelity and make it work, like other gospel artists who cheated did (e.g., Tye Tribbett).

As a spiritual man, the bible give me authority to “judge (discern) all things”, according to 1 Corinthians 2:15. So I don’t apologize one bit for agreeing that Israel’s failed marriage was a personal and spiritual failing. But God’s grace covered his personal and spiritual failings. And now that he’s officially divorce, I do not hold him in contempt of spiritual court…until he servers some self-determined sentence just to prove he’s sorry. He has been forgiven completely and immediately.

Now, he’s a single man…free to date anyone he wants.  And Adrienne is a single woman. So I say…have a blast at the beach in Mexico.

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