It's easy to take an item to the Jesus-counter, confess, ask forgiveness, then walk out the door with pockets, nooks, and crannies loaded with unconfessed sin. Sin kills relationships. Sin is more than a problem to be solved.
Author: Sydney Millage
A Congregational Opportunity
Recently I was invited to speak to a congregation, with their pastor, about domestic abuse from a biblical perspective. Check it out: Calvary Baptist Church in Chatfield, MN with Pastor Mike Gittins November 21, 2021
Vice of Dominion
There has been discussion about the Power and Control Wheel in some circles. If you are not familiar, it is a simply diagram that describes eight tactics abusers use to maintain power and control in a relationship. It is an accurate tool that gives women words and examples to express how and what happens in … Continue reading Vice of Dominion
Stress is Not Sinful
Those on the outside can not, do not, know or understand the weight in an oppressive home during the holidays. However, we often say stress is wrong and sinful in our self-righteousness and humility-wrapped pride.
Hope
Where is your hope? If your hope is in an individual changing, that may never happen. If your hope is a healthy, thriving marriage with an abusive spouse, that is not in your realm of influence.
Gullible vs. Groomed
Some men intentionally look for Jesus-loving, kind, gracious, submissive women to marry as a means of controlling them and micromanaging their personal life. Some men use the church as a cover for sinful behavior. It worked in Corinth.
Submission vs. Survival
A wife who is in a dangerous or oppressive relationship does not and can not submit in the biblical sense of the word because her behavior is forced. Submission is a choice. Survival is not. A woman who is punished for disobeying her husband's preferences, desires, and commands quickly learns where the line is and how to avoid repercussions.
I Know a Guy
Besides deceit, hypocrisy and secrecy, another obstacle for those seeking help is an individual who has been similarly hurt without healing. If they were to acknowledge hurt, pain and suffering at another's hand, it would stir up feelings of helplessness and powerlessness. The resulting pain and suffering would confirm the reality of evil and its … Continue reading I Know a Guy
It’s Not Anxiety
Woman after woman is accused of--or describes herself as--suffering from anxiety. Making decisions, moving through the day, talking to individuals, caring for children, going to bed. All are riddled with a sense of dread, fear, panic, unease. The words, "If only..." precede every other thought. The Bible speaks to anxiety. Pastors and Bible study leaders … Continue reading It’s Not Anxiety
Go Team!
Isn't the idea of "choosing" the husband or wife in a domestic dispute unbiblical? A friend, pastor, church, or family member should be on both teams, shouldn't they? Loving both. Caring for both. Doing what is best for both. It just feels wrong to have to choose one over the other--how do you make sense … Continue reading Go Team!
Seeking Sanctuary 