Christ Will Rescue You: It Does Get Better

Colossians 3:19(ESV)
“Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.”

An abusive relationship can make an individual feel like they’re at the bottom with no possibility of things getter better. There’s a shame associated with it, and because of this, many of us hide our abuse. We think no one knows about what we’re going through, but this isn’t the case. They may not know the entire story, but those who know us inherently sense that something is going on. The energy of insecurity, anxiety, oppression, and confusion are all prevalent in abusive relationships, and it can’t be hidden. These heavy feelings are all rooted in fear, and fear will not rest beneath the shadows for long. Sometimes family members, friends, and co-workers can sense the sadness, and they will often try to offer wisdom and encouragement, but we’re not in a place where we can receive it. When our souls are troubled to this degree, our eyes are sometimes blinded from hope, and we can’t imagine a solution that will save us and the relationship as well.

One of our problems is that we won’t accept that the relationship can’t be saved. Someone is attacking us in an attempt to steal our power, and the gravity of this dark plot is aiming to pull us down. It’s trying to separate us from the privilege of wholeness and life. Abuse can sink an individual into an abyss of hopelessness. It can cause us to get stuck in negative thinking, where we stop believing that things will get better. Well, the truth is that nothing, not even abuse, can erase the imprint of our destiny. Our true identity is the image of Christ, and no one can extinguish his voice. In Matthew 11:28(NLT), Jesus tells us, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” He’s continually calling us to embrace the peace and healing he offers.

Jesus Christ said in Revelation 3:20(NIV), “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” Jesus Christ stands at the door of our hearts. He is knocking and waiting for us to hear him and open the door, but we are allowing confusion and fear to gum up our ears and keep us from opening the door. This combination of confusion and fear will cause the inner conflict that an abused individual will often experience. Whether they realize it or not, this conflict is the fight between their right to wholeness in Christ and their fear; they either fear the abuser or fear a life without this person.

The truth is that deep in our minds and hearts, we all know that life should be better. We understand the quality of life that our love ones want for us. We once had a vision of this life ourselves, but the distance between the vision of a life of peace and the reality of where we currently are seems too far to reach. It isn’t.

In Mark, chapter 10, Jesus Christ was teaching the disciples about how attached the rich are to their wealth. He said that it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. The disciples were astonished at this teaching and questioned him. In Mark 10:26(ESV), they asked, “Then who can be saved?” In Mark 10:27(ESV), he answered “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”

With God, all things are possible. This is something many rich people find hard to believe. They are not interested in faith in God and will not humble themselves under God’s sovereignty. Instead, they’ve made money, and the pursuit of it, their god. They worship money and this is a form of idolatry. It’s putting created things above the Creator of All. This is always the absolute worse decision anyone can make, and its why Jesus Christ made it clear that it is very challenging for a rich person to enter the Kingdom. However, it is not impossible. God can do anything and everything. He can thread a needle with a camel, and Jesus wants us to be certain of this point. God is magnificent beyond magnificence. He deals in the exceedingly abundant, and nothing is impossible for Him. There’s no problem He cannot solve.

At one time in my life, I felt like I had no hope, and I didn’t want anyone to know how bad it was for me. On one of several bad nights of arguing, in a rage of anger, my ex-husband strangled me until I passed out on the bathroom floor. I woke up with a sore throat and very dizzy, but I was thankful to be alive. I’ve always prayed to God, but this time was different. I didn’t have anything to call my own, but that morning when I woke up, I knew in my soul that God is all that I need, and He was going to help me get free. I put my hope and trust in Him, and He did not disappoint. I once heard a domestic violence counselor say that it’s challenging to help someone who doesn’t want to be helped. She said sometimes the abused have to reach a point where they refuse to take it anymore. I guess I reached this point.

We all have gone down the path of second thoughts, and we have a fear of regretting our decision to save ourselves. We should never get stuck in that mindset. It’s keeps us from having courage, and all God’s people need to be courageous. Our courage will activate the power of God’s Holy Spirit, and he will meet us in this place of courage every time when our trust is firmly in God. Philippians 4:13(ESV) tells us that we “can do all things through him who strengthens me.” The Lord will give us the strength to move ourselves out of a bad situation if we will trust Him. As we move ahead, we must confess to ourselves continually that “God has made my future better than my past.”

Keep looking ahead to the destiny God has set for you. We are His children, He loves us, and He doesn’t want us to suffer domestic violence and abuse. He doesn’t want us to be depressed, suicidal, or hopeless. He wants us to take authority over our lives through Jesus Christ, to trust His love, and to walk in the victory that Jesus Christ won for us all. Pray often and walk with God. Romans 8:28 tells us that He will cause all things to work together for our good. He is the God of infinite possibilities, and things will get better when we place our faith in Him.■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Christ Will Rescue You

Tuesday, October 4, 2022

It Does Get Better

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