Suffering from abuse causes devastation throughout our lifetime. We agonize over and grieve the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual side-effects that putrefy our existence on every level. These issues can even cause complicated medical problems.
To
hide our shame, we develop perfectionist practices to stay safe, and we have
control issues in an attempt to prevent any further abuse. In order to feel
normal and accepted, we dive into a codependent lifestyle, which robs us of our
independence and autonomy.
We
actually end up abusing our self further, because we are so busy serving others
that we ignore and neglect our own needs. We look to others to meet our needs,
but they are too busy or enveloped in their own life to help us.
If
we attempt to share the secret of our abuse, most people, especially family,
refuse to believe us. However, when we do share our secret - in spite of our
fears of repercussions, we are no longer a victim, and our abuser loses his/her
power over us.
Our
subconscious mind will often invite physical illness as a way to eradicate the
effects of our ordeal. Chemicals in our food, toiletries and environment also
cause physical ailments; but at times, illness is a manifestation of the trauma
and grief, which we carry from our past.
Stress,
anxiety and perfectionism deplete our adrenal glands, which cause further
physical, mental and emotional complications. Stopping this rat race enables us
to prevent future physical, mental and emotional impediments.
It
is important to realize that we are not damaged and flawed by our past. In
Christ, we are a new creation. Now, we have new life in Him (2 Corinthians
5:17). Jesus' completed work (Colossians 2:10) helps us to deny
the past its control over our future.
We
start to count our blessings and feel gratitude for God's provision in our
spirit, body, and soul - our thoughts, choices and emotions. As we allow our
self to actually feel our feelings, we can gain a new perspective on our past.
Those
events no longer define who we are (Colossians 1:27; Galatians 2:20). Once
we decide to break free from those chains of bondage, we can trust God's Holy
Spirit. He gives us the victory over sin, sickness and destruction, which our
former life forced on us.
The
key to full healing is to realize that we are no longer victims of our past.
Jesus took our pain and sorrow, and nailed it on the cross with Him. Jesus set
us free from the past (John 8:36), and gives us a promising
future (Jeremiah 29:11).
Prayer:
Father
God, we know that You will take revenge on our perpetrators in Your own timing
and way; and if we refuse to forgive them, we are only hurting our self. We do
not want to live in poor health, because it only hinders our service to You.
Therefore, we thank You for helping us to release our pain and trauma to You.
As
we garner the courage from You to face our past head on, we can admit that we
were harmed and damaged. Then we can start on our healing journey to wholeness.
Your love covers a multitude of sin that was forced on us by people who were
supposed to protect us. Help us to forgive them, even though we can never
excuse what they did to us, and to leave justice in Your capable hands.
Thought
for the Day:
When
we are drowning in grief from life's trauma's, it is better to allow our self
to rise to the surface, rather than to panic and fight our way to the top; our
healing is more available to us when we go ahead and accept the fact that even
though we never received the admission of guilt from our abusers, God knows the
truth and will bring retribution in His way and time.
