Read on Twitter
When someone gets into a traumatic car accident, they are encouraged to take time away from driving to heal, recover, seek therapy for any physical/mental damage and follow up with a licensed doctor to be cleared to drive again.
When someone gets out of an abusive relationship, professionals encourage them to heal, seek therapy, stay out of romantic relationships until they’re healthy enough and continue to be under close care by a physician, mental health professional, etc., to ensure they recover.
But for some reason, when people of faith leave toxic and abusive church environments or cults, they’re encouraged to make finding a new church their priority over seeking therapy by a licensed professional, and discouraged from taking time away to heal + recover.
Trauma causes injury to the brain. Just like a car accident or abusive relationship (physical, emotional, verbal, etc) causes many deep wounds to the brain’s ability to function as it should, so does faith-based trauma that is developed in unsafe + unhealthy church environments.
We feed into the stigma of brain health not being as important as other physical health areas remaining in tact and getting the proper care it needs. And we do it using Scripture taken out of context, elevating church attendance over the very body that is unwell.
Dear one, listen closely. If you have been impacted by abuse of any kind, done in a faith-based environment, parachurch ministry, organization, church or cult masked as godly, you can take ALL the time you need away, to seek the professional care you need to heal and recover.
Most people who leave abusive faith environments, are in no position to shop for a new pastor, community or church. Your experience needs to be processed, validated + heard, and you need to be able to see clearly outside of the environment that caused you great harm.
You are not less of a Christian because faith based environments are triggering for you.
After escaping those dangerous places, hearing the Bible referenced may cause you to replay the words that were used as a bludgeon to break you apart.
It’s okay. It doesn’t define you.
After escaping those dangerous places, hearing the Bible referenced may cause you to replay the words that were used as a bludgeon to break you apart.
It’s okay. It doesn’t define you.
You may never be able to be apart of the Western, institutionalized model of doing church, and that’s okay.
Your recovery process may not look like attending Bible studies and Sunday services until you’re a better place, and that’s okay.
Your recovery process will be your own.
Your recovery process may not look like attending Bible studies and Sunday services until you’re a better place, and that’s okay.
Your recovery process will be your own.
God knows the wolves who are harming His precious little ones.
He knows what they ate for dinner last night.
He knows what they took from you.
He knows the harm they caused.
And He doesn’t expect you to just get over it and come back to a building to appease people.
He knows what they ate for dinner last night.
He knows what they took from you.
He knows the harm they caused.
And He doesn’t expect you to just get over it and come back to a building to appease people.
So with everything in me, I plead with you: treat the mind God has called you to love Him with, as a vital asset that He has given you to steward. Take care of it by talking to someone. Don’t rush into what your body is giving cues you’re not ready for. You deserve it.
All in all, God loves ALL of you.
Not just the parts that can show up to a Bible study.
But even the parts that cannot read the Bible because you hear that person who harmed you with the Word every time you open it, speaking harm over you.
Not just the parts that can show up to a Bible study.
But even the parts that cannot read the Bible because you hear that person who harmed you with the Word every time you open it, speaking harm over you.
You are free.
They cannot control you anymore.
You are safe.
God wanted you out of there as much as you did.
You are loved.
He’s with you no matter what.
They cannot control you anymore.
You are safe.
God wanted you out of there as much as you did.
You are loved.
He’s with you no matter what.
