Spiritual Abuse vs. God's Courageous Compassion

Spiritual Abuse

This is a good summary from another online article that describes Spiritual Abuse:


What is Spiritual Abuse? First, let’s look at how some authors define spiritual abuse. Definitions for Spiritual Abuse Ronald Enroth defines spiritual and pastoral abuse this way:

“Spiritual abuse takes place when leaders to whom people look for guidance and spiritual nurture use their positions of authority to manipulate, control, and dominate.”

In the book Healing Spiritual Abuse, Ken Blue compares other types of abuse with spiritual abuse:

“Abuse of any type occurs when someone has power over another and uses that power to hurt. Physical abuse means that someone exercises physical power over another, causing physical wounds. Sexual abuse means that someone exercises sexual power over another, resulting in sexual wound. And spiritual abuse happens when a leader with spiritual authority uses that authority to coerce, control or exploit a follower, thus causing spiritual wounds.”

Many people have borrowed the definition of the term spiritual abuse, found in the book, The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, by David Johnson and Jeff VanVonderen:

“Spiritual abuse is the mistreatment of a person who is in need of help, support or greater spiritual empowerment, with the result of weakening, undermining or decreasing that person’s spiritual empowerment.”

These two authors go on to refine this definition:

“Spiritual abuse can occur when a leader uses his or her spiritual position to control or dominate another person. It often involves overriding the feelings and opinions of another, without regard to what will result in the other person’s state of living, emotions or well-being. In this application, power is used to bolster the position or needs of a leader over and above one who comes to them in need.”

Spiritual abuse can also occur when spirituality is used to make others live up to a “spiritual standard.” This promotes external “spiritual performance,” also without regard to an individual’s actual well-being, or is used as a means of proving a person’s spirituality.
On the website Spiritual Abuse Recovery Resources, Jeff VanVonderen summarizes the term spiritual abuse in the introduction to this website:

“Spiritual abuse occurs when someone in a position of spiritual authority, the purpose of which is to ‘come underneath’ and serve, build, equip and make God’s people more free, misuses that authority placing themselves over God’s people to control, coerce or manipulate them for seemingly godly purposes which are really their own.”

In an interview with VanVonderen about spiritual abuse, he plainly confirmed that:

“Spiritual abuse is always a power issue. In order for abuse to happen, by definition, it has to come from a place of higher power to a place of lesser power. People in low-power positions can’t abuse people in highpower.”

Therefore, my brief definition would be:
Spiritual abuse involves using one’s spiritual authority inappropriately and thereby violating the sacred trust of a spiritual shepherd.The misuse of ecclesiastical power to control and manipulate congregants, ultimately results in damage.

http://www.churchexiters.com/spiritual-abuse/ 


When I read the Bible it talks about Jesus calling Himself the good shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep.  Jesus makes a strong point to the people in this passage--look at my actions.  People were deeply struggling with what Jesus was saying, but Jesus' response and argument was for them to take a look at His actions.  Did they match with what God says?

Spiritual Abuse is a sin--whether one of commission (intentionally done) or omission (intentional left undone).  There is a need for the church to deal with this honestly, and in a compassionate and Biblical fashion.

Before I give you something to wrestle and pray with someone; consider this--the opposite of love is not hate.  No, the opposite of love is apathy.  If I don't love you, I don't care about you.  I won't give a rip about what happens to you.  If I love you --by the way, to love someone is to seek their blessing--and someone is hurting you, I am going to get angry because that is not OK. 

Think about it.

Where in the Bible do you remember God asking for someone to stand up.  To do justice.  To do right.  To seek another's blessing.... 

Will you stand up?

Prayerfully read and wrestle John 10 with someone.

Ask how you can love one another--seek another's blessing.

How can you celebrate who God is and what He is doing?

Where do you need to obey?  Repent?  Rethink?  Grow some God-Courage?

Jesus came as the Rescuer--the Messiah...if we are supposed to be like Him--what will that look like in my life?

John 10
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2010&version=MSG