Have You Noticed These 14 Warning Signs of Spiritual Abuse? by MARK DEJESUS for Charisma News
I’ve spent years helping people recover from abusive situations. They range from abusive marriages, homes and even abusive church environments. Over the years, there has grown an awareness of how church and ministry environments can misuse their influence and authority in a way that damages the spiritual and emotional life of people. This has become known as spiritual abuse. The ramifications are more harmful than most people realize.
The Need for Better Answers
I find that the majority of Christians who have served God for a long enough time have, at some point, been a part of a spiritually toxic environment. Yet I rarely see people walking through any kind of process to heal from those harmful situations. The best that is offered is “the past is the past” or “get over it.” Meanwhile, believers left and right are walking around with spiritual and emotional lacerations that they don’t know how to heal.
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Often it’s because they have been in spiritually abusive environments for so long they don’t know any better. In fact, I find that people in these kinds of settings lose their sense of judgment. It’s like being with an alcoholic for so long that you begin to think that living with the ups and downs of addiction is normal.
Addressing Spiritual Abuse Patterns
Many churches are changing by making the health of their church family a high priority. Love, honor and a renewed lens on healthy authority are beginning to take shape. But we still have a ways to go.
I have spent countless hours personally working with people who have come out of spiritual abuse. Some of the stories would make the hairs on your arm stand on end. Yet God has graciously worked in many of these people’s lives to heal those wounds and renew their belief systems, allowing them to cultivate healthy connection and fellowship.
