Spiritual Abuse: Introduction
Have you ever felt dumped on? Been made responsible for another's dream, or problem? Felt backed into a corner and couldn't say "no"? Been manipulated to conform to another's way of thinking when you thought differently but were afraid to say so for fear of rejection?
These are forms of emotional manipulation. Now, bring God into the picture and you are likely to experience a powerful combination: SPIRITUAL ABUSE.
- When you are asked to do something and to not do it would let God down.
- When the unity of the church means thinking the same as the elders or the minister.
- When you are unable to ask questions or express doubts because that is lack of faith.
- When sacrifice means surrendering your personal decisions to another's power.
- Where Christian service is motivated by guilt and an unhealthy desire to please God.
- When another has a hold over you because of some secret knowledge.
- When you are unable to make decisions without first seeking "wise counsel".
- When relationships are substituted with ownership, e.g. Minister's ownership of the people or the people owning the minister.
- When people are not allowed to make mistakes.
- When God's call makes a person indispensable.
- When our dress and language must conform to an unspoken code.
- When leadership demands respect and followership.
- When a congregation or individuals are governed by a series of musts, oughts and shoulds.
- When Christian fellowship becomes exclusive.
- The list could go on and on...
The problem is that spiritual abuse is so subtle. A half-truth slightly twisted sounds so right.
Spiritual abuse is now beginning to be talked about - like sexual abuse. It has been around for a long time and only now are people coming out of the abused secret society and talking about it. People are saying, "I thought something was wrong but I thought it was me".
Jesus confronted the spiritual abuse of his day. Legalism. In Matthew 23:4 referring to the religious leaders Jesus says, "they tie up heavy loads, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger."
He attacks those with false spiritual power as being "serpents, a brood of vipers, and wolves in sheep's clothing". (Matthew 23:33, 7:15)
This was not a new phenomenon as false prophets and shepherds were continually being exposed in the Old Testament.
The early Christian writers, likewise confronted the spiritual abusers of their day. That was the reason for Paul's letter to the Galatians. Check it out!
Christians were encouraged to discern and leaders were exhorted to "be on their guard for themselves and for all the flock". (Acts 20:28)