Giving your heart to someone is the most precious and intimate gift you can give them because Christ lives in you. For this reason, you must make sure the person you give your heart to will love you in Christ’s design of love and marriage.
Submission must be given. Submission doesn’t mean women do not have a voice, opinion, or influence on our husbands. Submission does not mean we are slaves and obligated to do whatever our husbands want; especially if it is abusive or goes against the morals and character of Christ.
The frequency and level of abuse may change, but the certainty of being abused will not. When you are with an abusive person, they will continue to do what they know until they choose to learn and act in healthy ways.
“How could you betray me?” I asked this question to a close friend, someone I thought I could trust. There is nothing like the pain of your heart being sliced open when you learn that someone close to you has betrayed you. The devastation of betrayal is one of the deepest wounds to our hearts. Betrayal is hard if not…
We all do what we know, and we measure up to what we have come to accept as okay or “normal.” When you do not know or understand how to use Christ’s heart and character as your definition and design of love, you will use what you know.
Our faith in Christ requires us to trust him no matter what people say, how things look, or how we feel.
The longer I go without the living waters of peace from Jesus the worse my internal condition becomes and my external challenges look. I feel like I am caught in a dirt-devil depleting my strength, resources, and faith. When you sense your peace in Christ is being disrupted, stop and go to Jesus for direction. He promises to walk with you as he leads you in his peace. Trust him and keep praying or trying new steps until you feel his peace.
When our “normal” is unhealthy and promotes using people to get what you want, you become a disrespectful user and often an abuser of people. Likewise, women who grow up in this unhealthy environment come to believe is it “normal” and expected for them to be used and live their life as a victim if they are to be loved.
I was never taught how I was deceived by my childhood thoughts, beliefs, mistakes, and life experiences concerning my value. I discovered these lies, and my self-worth began being transformed when I consistently studied God’s word. My understanding deepened as my relationship with Christ flourished. I became devoted to learning what it means to let Jesus be the originator of my value and to live like I believed him.
