I have never been the victim of abuse. But, there are too many who cannot say the same. I have met some of them. They are often so broken that they can no longer function as a normal person. Their every thought and reaction is tainted with painful memories of abuse and neglect at the hands of the ones that should have protected them. Trust is a by-word, and guilt reigns their emotions.
As many of you know, abuse of any kind is about power. It is a selfish desire to lord over another being. The abused becomes less than a human and more of an object to be used. The point soon comes where the abused begins to believe that they themselves are worthless, and they see no way out of the situation. This is the exact opposite of how Christ views them, and the exact opposite of how we should view them and treat them.
If a victim of abuse reaches out for help, it does not matter what we think about the truthfulness of the claim at that point. We have a person who has asked for help. Our initial response must be one of love, not accusation. Good, godly counseling will bring out the truth and the Holy Spirit will lead on how to deal with it. If approached by an abuse victim, procede prayerfully with love and kindness as Christ does when we come to Him. This stage is not one for any kind of judgement concerning the abused or the abuser.
The alarming trend in fundamental circles for the past several decades has been to sweep the entire issue of abuse in the church under the rug. I am not ashamed to say that those who claim that bringing it out in the open for full disclosure must not serve the same powerful God that I do. They do not need to "protect the cause of Christ" by hiding abuse and sin. Christ's cause is eternal and I think He can protect it all on His own. Sheltering the abuser, and blaming the abused protects nothing righteous. Call out the abuser, find out the facts, and let God take care of the rest!
In the interest of keeping each day's entry short, I'll continue on with this subject for most of this week. There is a lot to say, and my heart is burdened. I will leave you with a link to a letter written by my friend, Rebecca Davis: An Open Letter to Dr. Bob Wood, and another to a confidential survey from GRACE, i.e. Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment for those who have suffered abused.
The teapot may be broken, but I know of a Great God who can make the very worst whole.
As many of you know, abuse of any kind is about power. It is a selfish desire to lord over another being. The abused becomes less than a human and more of an object to be used. The point soon comes where the abused begins to believe that they themselves are worthless, and they see no way out of the situation. This is the exact opposite of how Christ views them, and the exact opposite of how we should view them and treat them.
If a victim of abuse reaches out for help, it does not matter what we think about the truthfulness of the claim at that point. We have a person who has asked for help. Our initial response must be one of love, not accusation. Good, godly counseling will bring out the truth and the Holy Spirit will lead on how to deal with it. If approached by an abuse victim, procede prayerfully with love and kindness as Christ does when we come to Him. This stage is not one for any kind of judgement concerning the abused or the abuser.
The alarming trend in fundamental circles for the past several decades has been to sweep the entire issue of abuse in the church under the rug. I am not ashamed to say that those who claim that bringing it out in the open for full disclosure must not serve the same powerful God that I do. They do not need to "protect the cause of Christ" by hiding abuse and sin. Christ's cause is eternal and I think He can protect it all on His own. Sheltering the abuser, and blaming the abused protects nothing righteous. Call out the abuser, find out the facts, and let God take care of the rest!
In the interest of keeping each day's entry short, I'll continue on with this subject for most of this week. There is a lot to say, and my heart is burdened. I will leave you with a link to a letter written by my friend, Rebecca Davis: An Open Letter to Dr. Bob Wood, and another to a confidential survey from GRACE, i.e. Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment for those who have suffered abused.
The teapot may be broken, but I know of a Great God who can make the very worst whole.
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