Refer to STEP 1: I recognized that where I am in life is not where I want to be. My life was shipwrecked.
Throughout Scripture we are taught to welcome strangers, clothe the naked, and to give ourselves to all those in need. Jesus teaches us that what we do for the “least of these” is what we do for Him. The church is tasked to be the voice for the voiceless and a defender of the afflicted. When it works, it’s beautiful to behold, but when it doesn’t, dysfunction ensues.
Most of the dysfunction results from fallen man behaving like fallen mankind. Sometimes it’s much worse than this, however, and that’s when abusiveness becomes a problem. Because many Christians are young and naïveté, they accept beliefs that contradict God’s Word. When they ask their trusted leaders to explain what’s happening, the explanations often contradict sound teaching. Does this sound familiar?
When this happens, you should run, but that’s not what happens, is it? Instead, you re-sell yourself about what’s happening, making the error a cherished belief instead of what it is—error. That’s where the problem begins.
Not knowing the Scriptures well makes many easy targets for abusive leaders who know the Word well enough to distort it. Because of this, it’s easy to abuse young, trusting new believers. The end result is a shipwrecked life for each person who falls victim to the abuser. Has this been your experience?
Recovering from a situation where you trusted an abusive authority figure completely is very difficult. Your soul is burned with scar tissue covering the wound, and you become skeptical and jaded for a long time. Recognizing that this is where you are , however, is the first step to recovery.