Refer to Step 1: I acknowledge that my life is shipwrecked and not where I want it to be.
The phoenix hope, can wing her way through the desert skies, and still defying fortune’s spite; revive from ashes and rise.
—Miguel De Cervantes
When you experience religious abuse, it shatters your world. Your confidence in God is replaced by confusion and apprehension about the future. Nothing seems right, and you loose your bearings. No longer self-assured, you become fearful and timid.
Because those in spiritual authority have made a pronouncement that you are unworthy, whether stated or implied, you probably have accepted that their assessment is valid. At least you feel this way on the inside, in your soul, at the core of your being. For you, all is lost or at least seriously diminished, and you doubt anything will ever be right again. The future, which once seemed bright, now seems bleak, as you grind out each day with little purpose. You feel like a balloon the day after a party, no longer buoyant and energetic.
Sadly, nearly everyone who experiences religious abuse—or any type of abuse—feels this way. For some, it debilitates them completely. For others, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, as their life assumes a shallow, irresolute quality, and they act out through self-medicating vice.
That’s the bad news, but there is good news. Your life doesn’t need to be this way. There’s a way out that works—a way filled with hope. God has not given up on you—not for a minute. There’s a future waiting for you—a future filled with noble, estimable, and worthwhile endeavors.
It’s available, but you have to work for it. It will not come easily. Nothing of value ever does. All you have to do is want it and be willing to work for it—not just some of the time—but each and every day.
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him. For I consider that the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (Romans 8:16-18)
—Jack Watts Recommended Resources
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