It's so easy to get caught up in an abusive cycle; whether it be with a significant other, a family member, an employer, or even the church. After all, we're all seeking love and acceptance. Our acceptance of unjust behavior or made to feel ill feelings is simply out of the desire to belong and be loved; to have somewhere to go. In the church God's character gets polluted by people attempting to push an un-christ like agenda. Individuals are made to feel less than and forced to feel God created them as something perverse. It's abusive.....and it's very important to recognize that.
So many of us give ourselves over to these opportunities to be loved, find a place, and belong. We keep the spirit of, "It will get better" and/or "I can be better". After all, no one wants to not be enough for better treatment, acceptance, understanding, and so the inclination for some is to press on, morphing themselves to what the other wants. We lose ourselves in this.
My prayer is this:
May you alone God and Creator open our eyes to those relationships which give us life and to those which suck the life from us. You have come so that we may "live life and live life abundantly" (John 10:10). Help strengthen our spirits, sharpen our minds, and find our true selves in you and you alone. For those that are in physically, mentally, and emotional abusive relationships, I pray that you meet them where they are and lift their heads to you. I pray that you help them to identify the strength they possess and help them to harness their identity apart from those abusive relationships. May they know that they belong to you and you alone.
For those in spiritually abusive relationships, whether it's a personal relationship or a relationship with a church; may you reveal to them through your word your character and will. May you give them the openness to recognize that sometimes the church is flawed, just like humanity. May they have compassion on our wrongdoings in our humanness and seek a community of believers where they can live life and live life abundantly.
I thank you for the revelation of your character to us in your Word and through the love of your people. In seeking who we are in you Creator, may you provide us strength to leave the relationships which whittle away at our spirits and provide us life giving ones. Instill in us the knowledge that there is more for us and a way out.
Lord hear this prayer. Amen.
Identify, strengthen, call out, and life up your heads. LIVE LIFE AND LIVE LIFE ABUNDANTLY.
*October is Domestic Violence Awareness month. Abuse comes in many forms. Help spread the word.*
