Verbal & Emotional Abuse
Words that Tear Down One’s Character
You know, just like a skilled lumberjack chops at a tree with repeated swings from an axe, verbal abusers use their tongues like a sharp weapon, hacking away at the spirit of another person. Chances are, you’ve experienced this kind of abuse at some point in your life. Today I spoke about confronting those who are verbally and emotionally abusing us. We often need help with this. We need someone who has either been down this road, or someone who knows how to counsel us through this situation… to help us come out on the other side with a healed heart, a whole heart.
This is where you come in. You see, this series is made for two types of people, those who are hurting and those who can help them! As you listen to this series or read through our Biblical Counseling Keys and books, you can become God’s instrument to share Biblical hope and practical help with those who are hurting. With these tools, you can help change minds, change hearts and change lives. You don’t have to be a seminary graduate or work in a church; you just need a heart for God and for others!
Remember the words of 2 Corinthians chapter 1, “The Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”
Bullying
Teaching civility, self-control and empathy
School can be a complicated environment for children and, although you’re not present every minute of every day, as a parent or a guardian you can prevent bullying from taking root. How?
Prepare and empower your children to confront and conquer bullying. Communicate to your child how God makes everyone unique and valuable. Encourage your children to stand up for themselves and especially to stand up for others. Then be their example.
In Titus 2 verses 7 and 8 we read, “In everything set them an example by doing good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned.”
What’s being said here is, model relationships of kindness, respect, civility, self-control and especially empathy because bullies don’t have empathy.
Realize, with children, more is caught than taught.
Blended Families
Perfection is Not Part of God’s Plan
Think about this, the push for perfection can put undue pressure on the wife or the husband in a blended family. You may think you have something to prove. Perhaps you feel that you must show your ability to hold a family together after divorce or after disunity in some in earlier relationships.
With this added pressure there can be a tendency to shy away from problems, or just ignore them all together. You may want to project an image of perfection when instead there is an undercurrent of pain.
Perfection is not part of God’s plan for marriage or family. The perfect mate, the perfect parent, simply does not exist. Only by the power of the Spirit of God living in us can we practice unconditional love with His wisdom to resolve our problems.
Isaiah 58 gives this promise, “The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.”
There’s peace in that kind of promise.