When God’s people refuse to enter the costly suffering of the abused or expose those who abuse, they align with the perpetrators who saw their victims as insignificant and unworthy.
Every time we treat someone with dignity rather than shame, respect rather than disregard, concern rather than exploitation, kindness rather than brutality and careful attention rather than turning away – we are doing things that are the reverse of trauma and evil.
The work of the church is not the call to ministry. Spiritual success is never measured by human outcomes. Our true work is that of manifesting likeness to Christ in all things, whether it is in success or failure, criticism or praise.
God’s purpose is not to build up spectacular ministries, or display brilliant minds, or articulate tongues or pleasing, arresting personalities. God’s purpose is to make us, you and me, like His Son. It is the only outcome that brings glory to the Father.
Trauma brings silence because it feels like there are no words to really describe what happened. Many times people need us to sit with them in silence. It is a way of joining with them so they are not alone in their experience of struggling to find words.
Every time we treat someone with dignity rather than shame, respect rather than disregard, concern rather than exploitation, kindness rather than brutality and careful attention rather than turning away – we are doing things that are the reverse of trauma and evil.
The test of our likeness to God is whether we use the power of love to descend, to enter in. Do you love God? Then go be a neighbor. Go enter into a life unlike yours and be the incarnation of the One who loves you eternally. The result will be true transformation.
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Be true.
Who’s under all the bravado & banner waving? All the curating & branding? All the attention getting, go-getting & gotchas?
If we’re in Christ, there’s a real individual underneath all those layers who is the most effective witness we’ve got to offer.
Peel to the real.
@Xena_Roznowski Not sure this is true... sometimes my heart needs a check to ensure I care about the other person more than myself. Not sure that makes them toxic. Sometimes this measurement shows the toxicity in my own heart.
We are called by God to be people of both Word AND Spirit. Yes, yes, we diligently study the Scriptures, pore over them all our lives, but if we do not have the love of God in us and evidenced through us, we are no different than those Jesus called out in John 5:37-41.
Beware of Bible beaters void of the Holy Spirit. Where the Holy Spirit goes, the Holy Spirit shows. If the fruit of the Spirit is not evidenced, they can hang Bible verses on their limbs all day long but something’s still wrong with that tree. Jesus said know a tree by its fruit.