Over the past few weeks I have pondered the impact of the recent sexual harassment claims. We knew these things were happening, but were shocked at some of the prominent names included on the growing list. How to address such a broad spectrum of issues with brevity? I see the abused and the abusers as broken. The following was adapted from a selection in the book Captivating, by Staci Eldredge.
An Unholy Alliance: What have we done with the tragic things that have happened to us?
Words were said, painful words. Things were done, awful things. And they shaped us. Something inside of us shifted. We embraced the message of our wounds. We accepted a twisted view of ourselves, and from that we chose a way of relating to our world. We made a vow never to be in that place again. We adopted strategies to protect ourselves from being hurt again.
We also developed ways of trying to get something of the love our hearts cried out for. The ache is there. Proverbs says, “Even in laughter the heart may ache.” (14:13). Our desperate need for love and affirmation, our thirst for some taste of romance, adventure and beauty is there. So, we turn to the boys/girls, food, fantasies of romance or, worse yet, the internet. Much of what we call our personalities is the mosaic of our choices for self-protection…plus our plan to get something of the love we were created for. The stage is set.
The problem is our plan has nothing to do with God.
The wounds we received and the messages they brought formed a sort of unholy alliance with our fallen nature. Thoughts like “God is not trustworthy.” “I must control my world.” “I cannot be vulnerable, again.” For both men and women, these things point to the USE of our most intimate component, our sexuality, as the solution and we miss the irony. I call it Satan’s Ace.
May you be engulfed in the depth of God’s love for you today.
Annette
Looking with New Eyes 