Abuse in Your Past?Sample

Look at them

Abuse often has generational roots. As the saying goes, “Hurt people hurt people.” If you were raised by a father who physically threatened you or a mother who degraded you daily with her words, you might have ended up in a fog about how relationships are supposed to work. The abused can easily turn into abusers.

This is why we need to look around at the people God has placed in our path who can help us heal. Jesus’ half-brother James wrote, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16). There’s healing power in the people of God. When you confess your sins to others and they, in turn, pray for you, you can heal wounds and change behaviors far faster than if you were on your own.

Today, I’m asking you to look at them. At your pastor, if you have one. At Christian counselors in your area who specialize in abuse. At friends who know you, love Jesus, and have healthy relationships. Yes, it will be humbling to confess your sins and your story to them. Yes, there might be consequences to the truth coming out. But it’s the best step in the world to take.

If you come from a long line of hurting people, the cycle can stop. Your family tree can change. Please look at them. It’s how God will help and heal us.