You Can Heal from Religious Abuse

RECOVERING FROM RELIGIOUS ABUSE, or any other kind of abuse for that matter, can be painful and difficult, but it can be done. The problem with religious abuse is that the name of God has been deviously appropriated, leaving the victim not only angry with the abuser but also with Almighty God.

To heal, one has to first recognize that God doesn’t abuse anyone. It’s not in His nature to do so. It never has been, and it never will be. Because it isn’t, being angry with God is counterproductive to your healing.

When a person experiences religious abuse, and millions have, that person’s life is shattered. Like a vase that has been dropped, the person is broken in many places, with a future that seems to be worth very little, but that’s the Lord’s specialty. He restores those who have been broken.

If you have experienced religious abuse, what you want, what you desire deeply, is to be made completely whole again, but that’s not going to happen. That’s not how life works. Your experience is part of who you are, of who you have become, but it can also be part of who you were meant to be. What those who exploited you for evil, God can turn around to make beneficial.

When you come to the Lord broken, seeking His wisdom and His help, that’s when He begins to put the pieces back together again. He uses your shattered experiences to make you stronger than you have ever been. The key is to embrace your victimization. It’s part of who you are, part of who you will always be. So, instead of living in denial, pretending that nothing happened, or being so bitter about it that you lash out at anything having to do with the Lord, to heal, you must face your painful situation. Repression doesn’t work; renewing your mind does. When you do, that’s when your healing can begin.

In the process, much like the way the Japanese restore a broken vase, God seals your broken places with gold, making you more beautiful and more valuable than you ever imagined. This can happen. This will happen. I’m not guessing. I know it and have experienced it. So, if you need this kind of healing, stay tuned. We’re going to begin going through all of it, one step at a time.

—Jack Watts