Overcoming Church HurtSample

Day 7: Do Not Fall Again Into Bondage

As we bring this devotional to an end, I would like to encourage you to guard your heart with all diligence (Proverbs 4:23). What you allow into your life, your mind, and your heart is exactly what will flow out of you. In another session with my therapist, I pointed all fingers at the people who hurt me, and it wasn’t just my previous pastor. The therapist listened to me quietly and when I was done, he told me that I couldn’t blame them without looking at myself, my background, and my experiences.

I knew him to be very honest, but I wasn’t expecting that. He went on to explain that due to my traumatic childhood and abusive past, I ignored red flags when it came to building relationships with people, especially people in positions and power. At that time, my desperate need for a fatherly figure because I was raised by a single mother; my constant yearning to please people so I could be accepted due to years of rejection and abandonment; along with my desperate need to escape an abusive home caused me to abandon all wisdom, ignore red flags and plunge into more abuse.

Matthew 10:16 comes to mind where Jesus warned the disciples that He is sending them out as sheep amid wolves. Spiritual manipulation and abuse may happen to people who have a passion to serve, to give, and to pour their all into a ministry. There is a blessing in serving so do not allow the enemy to poison and harden your heart and love for being a servant. As you pray for God to lead you into your next church home, pray that the Holy Spirit will also give you wisdom and discernment. Jesus is ready to heal you from your past hurts, so you do not make choices moving forward based on those traumas. Unfortunately, there are many wolves out there and if you do not heal, build an intimate relationship with God, and allow the Holy Spirit to lead you and order your steps, you may fall into another cycle of abuse.

I will be praying for you sincerely. God loves you immensely and He’s ready to mend all the broken pieces of your life. I pray you will go through this devotional more than once and pray those scriptures provided so you can arm yourself with power against the enemy of your faith. I pray you will plug into a wonderful church home and discover authentic leaders with a fear of God; true, God-fearing believers to come alongside you, and much more. I thank you for reading this devotional.

Read, internalize, and pray each scripture to deepen your faith.

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