What’s Next?

So, no sooner do I put the site on static mode than God starts showing me more things to write. LOL! He is so funny that way.

God has made it very clear to me that I need to immerse myself in the positives, rather than the negatives. He has also shown me that the site as a whole needs to focus on facilitating healing, not just focusing on the negatives that happen in abuse. Another verse He pointed out Tuesday was:

Philippians 3:13-15

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

Another passage He has had me thinking about a lot lately is:

Philippians 4:4-9

Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

The fact is that sometimes the facts aren’t positive – though the truth still can be. But, for my peace and wellbeing, I need to still, in the midst of the negative, choose to find God’s positive perspective. I must still confront sin where required to do so by the Word, but I can’t live there – in perpetual conflict.

In fact, the Word also says,

James 3:13-18
Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.

But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

Whether dealing with domestic abuse, clergy sex abuse, or other abuse in the church, there has to be a way to remain in peace on a personal level. Division will result in situations where there is unrighteousness, but God still wants us to refrain from becoming immersed in it:

Romans 16:17-19

Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.

All in all, as I’ve thought and prayed about this, I think I’m seeing that we do have to address unrighteousness, but then when our efforts to bring about change are ineffective, we need to move on in our own relationship with God and separate ourselves from those who refuse righteousness. If we have made every attempt, whether in a domestic abuse situation or a spiritual abuse situation, etc., to affect righteousness and have been rebuffed, then it is time to shake the dust off our feet, metaphorically speaking, and move on with God.

And it is time to do that with this site as a whole. Right now, I’m thinking that I will not post more clergy abuse news since there are plenty of other sites doing so. But I hope people will still find the articles here helpful – that was my purpose from the first.

I will also be gradually editing some of the articles in the family abuse section. In the category of keeping no record of wrongs, I want to do as much as I can to eliminate the “record of wrongs” without compromising the awareness factor of the materials. So this is going to take me awhile. Most of the content on the site will remain unchanged and, as I can, I will continue to add.