I feel the need to clarify some thoughts that I started in an earlier post that dealt with issues of spousal (or significant other) abuse.  In part, I believe there is a word of truth involved, but in a sense it was put forth in a satirical fashion.

It may sound as though I’m saying that victims of such abuse are responsible for their abuse.  In actuality, there is some sharing of that responsibility.  Before people commit to thinking that someone is worth sharing their heart with, there is a certain need to fully be ‘knowing’ of the other person, knowing the responsibilities, and embrace the possibilities that things may not always be as they appear.  In short, too many people are giving their hearts without enough education about what it means to give one’s heart.  Very often people feel they have met ‘Mr.’ or ‘Mrs.’ Right, and they strive so hard to put on a ‘face’ that will impress their ‘intended’, and their ‘intended’ do not see the ‘truth’ behind the ‘face’.  Very often as well, even when glimpses of that ‘truth’ is revealed, personal feelings may wish to not see, or make excuses for the ‘truth’.

My heart truly goes out to people who are in situations that bring hurt and misery on themselves and their offspring.  Many people accept abuse because they feel that they brought it on themselves, or that they are not worth better treatment.  The Scriptures teach clearly that we are to treat all as we wish to be treated ourselves, and no one truly ‘wishes’ to be treated with abuse, so it is wrong for people to feel or believe that they deserve abuse.  In reality, no one ‘deserves’ to be accepted by our Savior, because we have all failed to live as He expects us to.  Yet in His mercy, He loves us and offers us an eternal home with Him.  But such as we deserve in regards to ‘eternal’ decisions are in the hands of our Creator.  In our earthly hands, we should treat others with respect and caring, so anyone who is at the hands of earthly abuse is being treated with a high disregard for the law of our Creator, Who wills us all to love one another.  So if you are abused, then you are not receiving what your Creator feels you deserve, but you are being treated in a way that is totally against God’s will that we treat one another with love, caring, and mercy.  If you are an abuser, then you are putting yourself under the hand of God’s judgment.

Anyone who is living in any form of abuse deserves to be nurtured, and loved into a position that separates them from that abuse.  If you have given your heart to someone, and that someone does not respect your humanity, then do not feel that you must be a bad person, and that you deserve to be treated that way.  Do you feel that you deserve to be treated badly?  Know this, there is no one who truly deserves God’s mercy, yet He offers that mercy to all.  We should therefore expect to be treated by others with the same mercy that God shows to us.  Unfortunately, we live in a world that, by and large, does not recognize God or His mercy.