Hope in the place of despair

"God uses all things for good"   -  even csa intended for evil
      eg  it's made me more compassionate, built  a capacity to persevere

  • Suffering brings perfection"  -  in recovery God builds character
  • Endure in faith
  • Focus on being cleansed by Jesus
  • Focus on the restoration of our manhood
  • discover the childhood  that we missed out on
  • regain the capacity to relate and live today
  • discover the power of God's love - which casts out fear.
  • open our hearts to Jesus
        by taking down our walls in His presence and to invite Him in.
Renouncing Abuse:
  • acknowledge it was put there buy without our permission
  • disown it
  • refuse to internalise it
  • ask and trust the Lord Jesus Christ to break it's power
  • it was the sin of the abuser - not our sin
  • one does not repent of some one elses sin.
  • lets explore more about renouncing other's sin against us.
  • understanding the nature of abuse, trespass  and offence.
  • determine  who is responsable  then forgive on that basis
  • renounce  any and all shame of the abuser  he or she laid on us
  • receive Christ's redemption and thence our salvation.
The need for a theology of  recovery:
In seeking to find steps to recovery from csa
I have been constantly frustrated by the church generally being locked into a theology of sin with its ingredients of -
sin, confession, repentance, forgiveness and restitution.

This one sided theology has caused the church to focus on the needs of the abuser at the expense of other obligations which include:

  • duty of care to the congregation, especially safety of children
  • pastoral care of the wounded, the abused.
  • setting boundaries for the congregation
  • protecting the sheep from the wolves.
  • etc
Developing a Theology of Recovery:
  • identifying the needs of those sinned against
  • searching the scriptures for teaching on recovery ministry
  • Psalm 23 - He restores my soul.
  • Isaiah 61 - He heals the broken hearted.  
                                He sets the prisoners free.
  • Loving our neighbour- the Good Samaritain rescued the robed man.
                                                          he washed him, bandaged him, transported him
                                                          and provided  a place to shelter, be fed and rest.
  • Jesus taught about the shepherd who left 99 sheep in the shelter of the fold to go out and rescue the 1 lost sheep. The shepherd rescued the wounded sheep and carried him home.
  • "By His stripes we are healed"   that icludes being healed from csa.
  • there is more to come   because Jesus is our answer.
                     He is the way
                               the truth
                               the life.




 

Aspects of  recovery from csa