I’m convinced that being a single parent is one of the most difficult and demanding responsibilities anyone will ever face. May you not only take it very seriously, but may you also seek God’s wisdom and help as you raise your children.

This is why I urge you not to make your problems worse by allowing this person to move in with you. It’s tempting, I know, to seek help wherever you can find it—but this isn’t the road you should travel. Not only will you put your children at risk of neglect or even abuse, but you’ll also be giving them a bad example for their own lives. In other words, as they grow older do you honestly want them to live the same way you have? I doubt it.

The greatest message I can give you is this: God loves you. He loves you so much that He doesn’t want you to continue seeking happiness in wrong ways—ways that will only bring you trouble. This is why God commands us to avoid sexual relationships outside of marriage. The Bible says, “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral” (Hebrews 13:4).

The most important step you could ever take is to commit your life to Jesus Christ. Ask Him to come into your life today—and then ask Him to give you the courage to turn your back on the past and begin following Him.