“Transgression speaks to the ungodly within his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes. For it flatters him in his own eyes concerning the discovery of his iniquity and the hatred of it. The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit; He has ceased to be wise and to do good. He plans wickedness upon his bed; He sets himself on a path that is not good; He does not despise evil.” Psalm 36:1-4
During a conversation with a young woman outside a local church, she began to timidly open up about how terrified she was to go home. Try as she might, she simply could not hold herself together. She began to tremble, the tears began to flow, and her voice broke as she shared that she was praying for clarity with regard to her relationship with her admittedly abusive husband. I listened intently and then said as gently as I could, “I think those tears are providing you with all the clarity you need.” And as the truth slowly began to sink in, she wiped her eyes and nodded in solemn agreement.
I have no idea how long she had been carrying that heavy burden, but I found it tragically ironic when I discovered that she was employed at that church. I had to wonder how many people in her circle had been aware of her torment and whether those same people told her all the things she “just” needed to do to minister to her wayward husband and save their marriage.
Continue reading Reject the Counsel of the Doubters, for the Wicked Still Live Among Us
One afternoon less than a year into our marriage, I returned to our apartment to find my then-husband waiting impatiently for me in the living room. He didn’t waste a moment before severely scolding me for failing to turn off the stereo receiver before leaving home.
emotions surfaced: a constant fear of what new tactics my abuser might employ to torment me now that I was no longer within easy reach, fears with regard to the kind of future my children and I might face, and on top of it all there was the heartbreaking realization that some people whom I considered friends clearly could not accept the reality of what was going on my life.
of weekly articles designed to “save your marriage,” headed up by Jimmy Evans at Marriage Today ministry.