When Getting Into Any Form of Relationship… 1 Corinthians 13:4-6 First!

I started this about oh…two weeks ago?  Sigh…unfortunately life got in the way and this was thought of of course when I couldn’t finish it…so finally have the chance to do so!!  I still feel this is worth sharing and worth telling, and feel that maybe the wait was needed because now I have more to share then I would have the night I was writing this…

Riding home from a school concert tonight K-Love caught my attention with something they were talking about…Kelly was talking about how we too quickly let people into our hearts, mostly those of us who happen to be single and looking for someone to fill that void.

How even when we aren’t looking for a boyfriend, but when talking about friends, how we too quickly let people into our inner circles, into our hearts.

How true this is!!! 

Kelly then shared a conversation between a Mother and a daughter that was applicable to this, and really brought this issue into perspective…I want to share this here because this really is something we could all use in our lives!:

 

1 Corinthians 13:4-6

Do you feel an Abuser can Truly be a Christian?

Let’s be real here, we have Christians that are abusers within our churches and within our communities. This is nothing new, yet it seems that it’s yet another topic that so many don’t want to talk about. We have abusive Fathers, Mothers, Husbands, and Wives wearing the “Mask of Christianity”. We have ministers that are abusing and even killing their wives. We have Pastors who abuse their wives and children; we have Priests that molest young boys…

This isn’t anything new! This is a societal issue; we have abusers in all facets of society! There are abusers who are doctors, lawyers, political officials, police officers, judges, clerks, waiters, waitresses, trash truck drivers…so why is it such a surprise we have them as Christians as well? 1 in 4 (this is what the common statistic states as of today, although I truly believe it’s more like 1 in 3) women are affected by abuse, and this doesn’t even touch the men that are abused (1 in 7) as well! How many people sit in your church every Sunday? How many do you see shopping at Walmart, in the mall, or on the roads daily? How many are abuse victims? More importantly, how many are abusers?

Colossians 3:19

19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

Forgiving Our Abusers

This is such a touchy subject, and something that is so hard to do…

Last week I was speaking to a friend of mine and she was asking about some of my past…she is not a survivor of abuse yet works for abused children so understands to an extent what abuse is like.  She was surprised that I have been able to forgive my abusers like I have, and that really got me thinking…

So many of us really struggle with forgiving our abusers, I know I did!  Let me tell you, it wasn’t something I did over night, and honestly, the end result I don’t even think I did myself…

Matthew 6:14 (NKJV)

14“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

We as Christians need to step out & help support in the healing...

1 in 3 women experience DV in their life...1 in 3...how many women sit in your sanctuary on Sunday morning?  How many women do you incounter every day?

Just because church is full of Christians...it doesn't mean that the have been able to escape being touched by DV.  In my church I can think of a few women who have gone through DV, & can think of one who's Mother was killed by his Father, & a few others that grew up in DV & abuse, & yet another who is going through a DV situation right now...& do you know that the ones I talked to about it didn't even know it was DV Awareness Month?

As I stated on the LC Blog, DV feeds off isolation & the lack of information.  The lack of support...the lack of understanding...our society the way it is set up is perfect for DV to breed...is perfect for Satan's playground...

As Christians we have a duty to reach out to those who are hurting...who are in pain...who need help.  Isn't that who Jesus went out & sought everywhere He went?  Not only those that needed physical healing, but those who were hurting from within! 

How many survivors are being blocked from truly understanding the full Love of Our Father?  How many are struggling, even as Christians, that they are alone?  How many out there could use someone to reach out to them & let them know that not only are you there for them, but that God is ALWAYS with them & they are NEVER alone in their pain?

1 in 3

Is your church reaching out to these during this Month...during DV Awareness Month?  If so, let us know how!  If not, why not?  Why are we as Christians allowing Satan to win this battle?  Why are we as Christians allowing those affected by DV to continue to suffer alone? 

I as a Christian Survivor of DV will not let it continue to be so in my Church...in my life.  Are you willing to do the same?