No Visible Bruises

There is a lot of talk about Domestic Violence. But what about, “Domestic Abuse?” There’s a lot of buzz talk about “Narcissistic Abuse” but if only 3% of the population can be labeled, “NPD (narcissistic personality disorder),” where does this leave the women who’ve been quietly abused by their spouses for years? Who will believe them? Where can they turn?

Have you been made to feel like you’re crazy? Have you been accepting blame for everything? Are you invalidated? Are you afraid to speak your mind? Do you feel you are “punished” when you step out of line? Are you afraid of repercussions? Are you being controlled in your aspirations, decisions, activities, spending, plans? Are you being name-called, degraded, insulted? Are you being compared to others in the past or around you now? Are you being told you don’t measure up, you’re lucky to have him, no one else would put up with you? I SEE YOU.

I see you, and if you do not know Him I want to introduce you to Jesus. Jesus sees you. Jesus knows you. Jesus loves you. My pastor recently read a statement in church that at once both hit me and enveloped me. He read aloud, “The truist thing about you is that you are loved by God.” Wow! Take a breath and let that sink in. Now- take all those negative comments and opinions that you have been absorbing as truth – and hold each one up against that statement. Feel their power fade in comparison.

I have often said to myself as well as aloud, “I am more than the sum of my faults.” I can recognize that there is more to me than the labels someone else gave to me. The God of all creation loves me – and He loves you. He doesn’t love you “if,” he loves you now! He loves you today. He loves you exactly the way you are. And that is the truist thing about you! You are beloved by God. Nothing carries more weight than that. It is the measure against every other opinion about you. Let’s look at some of those opinions:

“you aren’t good enough” – You are loved by God.

“you are a failure” – You are loved by God.

“you are (insert degrading word or phrase)” – You are loved by God.

“you will never be…” – You are loved by God.

“you are ugly” – You are God’s beautiful creation and you are loved by God.

“No one else would want you” – You are wanted and loved by God.

Those statements and others like them designed to break you down and hold you under – those statements are lies straight from the pit of Hell. The truist thing about you is that you are loved by God.