Overcoming Sexual Abuse: Inspired by the Holy Spirit of God

Hagar is just one of the African women in the Bible who was disempowered by those with privilege and who suffered from community rejection. Zipporah is another example. Unlike her husband, Moses, who knew the privilege of both his Egyptian royal heritage and Hebrew identity, Zipporah was an Ethiopian woman from Midian Numbers Still, Zipporah and Moses stayed together and pled the case for the Israelites—many of whom were women with children who had suffered under Egyptian slavery. Israelite women had petitioned God to protect the bodies of women and their children from the slaughter of the Egyptian government.

Editor's Picks

The actions of faith and courage by Zipporah and Moses saved them Exodus 1: This resulted in new models of leadership, empowerment, and accountability in leading the Israelites. Waltrina Middleton identifies women as bearers of change. Bishop Jefferson-Snorton probes the story of Hagar more deeply and proposes a biblical perspective of women who lead with grace and resilience.

Nila Curry, seminarian at Wesley Theological Seminary and former Bread for the World intern, honors Pan-African women as individuals called to prophetic gifts. Read these wonderful devotionals. First published on Bread for the World's website. As the elder women of the SilenceIsNotSpiritual movement we hold the profound responsibility of stewarding our Kairos moment as we invite our signers and the church to engage.

We can think of nothing more important than beginning with lament.

Where private lament has served to rend our hearts, we also pray for a flood of corporate, congregational grieving for the damage that has been done to women within the church. This pain and harm is not something that can simply be corrected, avoided and addressed with new policies and structures.

We are facing the need for deep change that can only begin with feeling the pain and suffering that runs through every church, a silent and raging multi-racial river of suffering. Such suffering is both individual and institutional. In our expressions of grief, we invite the world to grieve.

Lament gives depth, nuance and clarity to the story God is telling— his people willingly surrendering long held beliefs, prejudices and defenses. Choosing to lament the violence women experience in our world requires a change in the narrative that has largely shaped the evangelical church until now.

As we enter into Lent, it seems so appropriate that we enter into lament. We are invited by God to grieve injustice of this world. When we do—privately and as congregations—we will become the change we seek. As we enter this season of Lent, we are reminded of the church's call to lament with those who suffer and repent for our part in it. To this end, we asked some of the beautiful voices from our SilenceIsNotSpiritual movement to help us renew our commitment to the life and resurrection of Jesus in our own lives and in our communities. Each Monday of Lent we will post a new Lenten piece rooted in the biblical story of a woman experiencing violence in the scripture and woven with personal story and Lament.

Please share it throughout your media channels, asking others to join our ranks in signing the statement and breaking the silence. We have so much good to give. So much change to bring. So much power in our hands. In the early nineties, I stood in a refugee center in the former Yugoslavia, a country destroyed by the bitter hatred that fueled the Balkan War.

I listened, heartsick, to stories of mass rapes of hundreds of Bosnian women by Serbian soldiers. Like the world, I was stunned and horrified by what had happened in Bosnia. In slow, flat tones she told of the horrors of eighteen months as a sex slave. When she could stand it no longer, she tried to escape; as punishment, her captors killed her three young children. Grandmothers and little girls. Their suffering captured me. We need to live—really and truly and daily—as part of a great global sisterhood.

Those in a position to do so need to extend mercy, fight systemic injustice, work to change cultural attitudes, pray, raise funds for transforming initiatives. We have so much good to give! So much change to bring! So much power in our hands! For too many women of my generation—and maybe yours—nobody told us we had all that power in our hands. Nobody told us we were destined to be change-bringers. Nobody told us we were filled with goodness just waiting to be given. It might be the call we need to join the global sisterhood. I had the money, time and freedom to engage internationally, so I felt a responsibility to do so.

But it was incomplete. It left something unsettled rattling around in my mind and soul. In the SilenceIsNotSpiritual statement, that unsettled thing settled into place when I read these words: At the intersection of racial and gender violence women of color bear the disproportionate burden. Native American women are most likely of all women to experience violence in their lifetime 84 percent and on some reservations they are murdered at 10x the national average.

Finally, when disability, gender identification and social stigma is considered, rates of violence increase dramatically for all people.

December 21 was a day of prayer and fasting for me. You can read why I fast and pray on the 21st of each month here. But on December 21, my prayer had an added focus. I prayed specifically for women of color in the cities and rural towns and reservations of the US, whose souls and bodies are bleeding right now, whose pain seems overwhelming, whose healing seems impossible. For too long I have ignored their voices, I have ignored them in my advocacy, and I have ignored them in my prayers.

May the Spirit show each of us the few or many words of the statement that we need to claim in a particular way—for conviction, for motivation, for affirmation, for healing. May the work that only God can do be done in you and me as we embrace the truths of SilenceIsNotSpiritual. You can follow her on Twitter lynnehybels. Now the movement has reached a new community: Instead, feeling the problem is too pervasive, they have acquiesced, leaving whole churches and communities paralyzed. Read the rest of the article here.

Photo courtesy of Freedom Road. Within hours, it gathered 1, signatures. Because there is no doubt in my mind on this matter that SilenceIsNotSpiritual! The statement, released Wednesday Dec. As for the church: The idea for the campaign calling evangelical churches to respond to physical, sexual and psychological violence against women came from Belinda Bauman of One Million Thumbprints , according to Lisa Sharon Harper of Freedom Road , who helped launch the SilenceIsNotSpiritual campaign.

MeToo was started by social activist Tarana Burke and went viral this fall, as women in great numbers began to use the hashtag. The Startling Reality Within 24 hours of MeToo emerging as a viral hashtag for victims of sexual assault, more than 4. Breaking the Code of Silence Recent events have broken the code of silence that previously protected perpetrators and kept victims hidden in shame.

We must ask ourselves the tough questions: It is time for the Church to A. This acronym highlights three changes we must make now. Acknowledge the Problem The pages of Scripture unearth the roots of sexual sin: Create Safe Environments Many states across the nation are passing legislation to protect women in the workplace. Here are a few basic policies every church should have in place: Take Care of Victims Too often the victims of sexual misconduct suffer in silence.

• Resource Library.
• Healing Principles.
• 13 Healing Lessons from a Sexual Abuse Victim;
• Eternity.
• Healing the Spiritual Wounds of Sexual Abuse - ensign.

Serving in public offices from underrepresented religions Elected officials that practice a religion other than Christianity are grossly underrepresented in local, state, and federal levels of government. Earlier this year, through Hopeful Hearts Ministry , I conducted an online survey that revealed some alarming information regarding domestic abuse survivors.

About 98 percent of survivors polled indicated that they had suffered abuse by a family member during childhood. They suffered mental and psychological abuse before the abuse ever turned physical. The abuse is subtle, mental, verbal, emotional, slowly chipping away at self-confidence.

Support groups and self-defense courses can help empower survivors on their journey to healing. One survivor I know recently shared with me: By talking about it and also filming the I Have a Voice video I walked out of the shame of the abuse. I am so proud of Jose and her new outlook on life. She has faced the pain of her past, and now she is moving forward. She has enrolled in graduate school to pursue a long time dream and has been an example of hope to everyone around her including her daughter.

1. What does the Bible say about sexual assault? | ERLC;
2. News — #SilenceIsNotSpiritual!
3. La aventura de ser cristiano (Spanish Edition).
4. .
5. Il bandito dellIsola (Italian Edition);

The prevalence and the insidious nature of abuse are overwhelming. Most people don't realize that domestic violence rarely begins with actual violence. More often, it starts with emotional and verbal abuse.

Billy Graham - Sex, power and materialism

Ultimately, this dominance turns to violence when the victim begins to show signs of defiance. However, there is hope. You can be a bridge to hope for those facing the scourge of domestic violence by not only being aware of the plight they face, but sharing resources available to help.

Recently On Women

Deitz is the award-winning author of Exposed: Inexcusable Me, Irreplaceable Him. Her newest book Redeemed releases this fall. Visit the Charisma Store to view all our specials. Help Charisma stay strong for years to come as we report on life in the Spirit. Click here to keep us strong! Please consider the following statements pertaining to comments posted by you and other visitors to our website:. This Is the No. Please follow these guidelines before commenting on our website: Please be considerate and respectful of your fellow posters.

He loves us and wants us to communicate with Him. President Ezra Taft Benson said of prayer: It has healed sickness [and] comforted those distressed. When the time was right for me to begin the healing process, Heavenly Father led my life in significant ways to bring me into contact with the people who could help me the most. Understand righteous use of the priesthood. If abuse came at the hands of a priesthood holder, there may be confusion about what the priesthood is and how the Lord intends it to be exercised.

The scriptures clearly teach that priesthood power is lost when it is used unrighteously:. As a child, Jeanette had been physically and emotionally abused by her father and sexually abused by her brother, both of whom were outwardly active in the Church. As a result, it was difficult for her to trust priesthood leaders and even attend church. Her attitudes about the priesthood began to change, however, as truly honorable priesthood holders showed caring and concern, doing much to help her heal.

One such person was her bishop, who listened nonjudgmentally and with deep concern as Jeanette haltingly told of her past experiences. He met with her regularly to offer support and inspired counsel. He shared scriptures and explained gospel principles, and he gave Jeanette priesthood blessings that helped her understand she was loved by Heavenly Father and was important to Him.

The bishop also extended to her a Church calling that enabled her to build needed friendships in the ward. His example helped Jeanette understand the essential role of priesthood holders in the healing process. Forgiveness is a crucial part of healing. It may not be a single event; rather, it is often a difficult process requiring much soul-searching, earnest prayer, and often the guidance of a bishop or stake president. In forgiving, an individual frees himself from the perpetrator and is therefore better able to progress.



1. Interview 10 - Andy Lawrence (The Underground Traffic Secrets Collection)!
2. Infinity of Intrigue;
3. What does the Bible say about sexual assault?.
4. Walking in Holy Spirit Healing From Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse — Charisma Magazine;
5. Scraped Knees.

In time, the self-condemnation he had felt because of his own shortcomings was replaced by self-acceptance and peace. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a message of hope and of eternal possibilities. I have a stronger love for Him now, and that love is incomprehensible. He is my best friend, and one day I know all the other questions will be sorted out and answered. Let us put our faith in Jesus Christ and trust that He will heal. He wants each of us to come to Him, and He will help us do so, for He has said:.

Many people who have been abused feel distant from others. Be trustworthy and dependable. Many abusers held a position of trust and then violated that trust. It can help survivors immeasurably when they are able to consistently count on others. Facilitate their activity in the Church. Be sensitive to the possibility that survivors of abuse may feel unworthy and uncomfortable in Church settings.

Provide opportunities for them to serve others, and show them that righteous living can bring joy and happiness.

Healing the Spiritual Wounds of Sexual Abuse

Unfortunately, some people who have been abused may turn to questionable activities to dull their pain. Without condoning their behavior, realize that as they work through their pain they will be better able to keep their bodies and minds free of things that are harmful to them. Be sensitive to the needs and feelings of the abused when teaching, speaking in sacrament meeting, or giving comments in Church classes.

For example, when talking about families, be aware that not every person has a family he or she wants to be with. When talking about enduring trials, recognize that the Lord never intended anyone to experience abuse so that they could learn lessons from it. Help survivors of abuse understand that they are not bad because bad things were done to them. Appropriately place responsibility on the perpetrator. People do not have to repent of evil that was done to them; in fact, they cannot do so. It can be painful for abused children to hear about divine intervention for the righteous. Although Daniel was saved from the lions, does that occur all the time for all of us?