Anxiety, resentment, and depression can’t live in the same space as spoken words of thankfulness and a grateful heart. I know first-hand how difficult it is to break the cycle of these destructive emotions and thoughts when your focus is all about surviving the day in an abusive relationship.
God doesn’t ask you to be thankful for abuse or the suffering you receive in abuse. God says to count it joy when you are persecuted because of your belief and service to Him. Degrading words, hurtful actions, mind games, financial control, and manipulation is NOT God’s design or His will for your life concerning love or marriage.
Powerful Daily Approach
When you approach your day from a place of gratefulness for all of the blessings in your life, your proclamations keep Jesus right beside you. Thankfulness helps you keep your eyes on God, the one who created you, and Jesus, the one who proved you were worth dying for. Gratefulness keeps Jesus in front of your emotions while it keeps him greater than your circumstances. Thanksgiving prevents you from getting sucked into the whirlpool of anxiety, despair, resentment, and destructive self-talk.
Thanksgiving doesn’t’ solve your abusive circumstance, it empowers you to partner with Jesus and let him lead you on your healing journey. Walking with him opens you to God’s truth and revelation in His word and the guidance and power of Holy Spirit.
Gratitude Focus
Focus on his love and the characteristics of his heart as you speak to your rude, mean, and controlling abusive spouse. Let Jesus lead you to professional counseling and strong women disciples of Christ to help you build boundaries to take care of the Christ living in you. With Christ in you let him help you cut through the pain. You are responsible for providing the best care of Jesus Christ in you and treating others as Christ would. You are NOT held accountable for fixing your abusive spouse mind or heart so he will care about the Christ in him.
Decide to be Thankful
This Thanksgiving season, decide to keep your gratefulness at the beginning of every day you wake up before your feet hit the floor and before you go to sleep. Thank Jesus for his promise “to never leave or forsake you.” Thank him for his example to love and honor others with healthy boundaries. Thank Jesus for the peace he implanted within you. Thank him for his good plans for you to live in the abundance of his love and healing.
Create a list of beautiful moments in your life and share them with your children and friends. Grow your gratefulness, and you will overcome the destructive emotions in your mind and bring a smile to the face of Jesus.
