STRONGER THAN BEFORE

Do you feel like you are alone on your road to healing? Do you feel like you don’t have anyone to talk to or that understands you? A repeated theme in healing after abuse is finding a good support system. This is also a recurring theme in the Bible, there are many stories of individuals who leaned on the support of others during challenging times. After all, God did not create us to be alone, in Genesis 2:18 God created Eve as Adam’s companion. We need friends like Moses had in Aaron and Hur, who held up Moses’ arms when he couldn’t do it himself. During difficult times, a system of support built on Jesus is what will hold us up. This does not exclude leaning on God himself, He should be who you turn to first. Pray and ask Him to send you people like Aaron and Hur who will be supportive and hold you up in your healing journey. Ask for wisdom, discernment, and protection to be a source of comfort and guidance. I love the way MSG words Proverbs 17:17, “Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble”. Isn’t this the truth, when we can find friends that will stick with us through anything and have family support through any kind of trouble? It can be rare to find friends like those in Proverbs 17:17 who will be there no matter the circumstance. But so much is the case that people stay in our lives when things are going great. Once something changes, these friends forsake us, similar to Job’s friends. “My relatives stop coming by, and my close friends have forgotten me”, Job 19:14 CSB. Whether your friends and family stay by your side or forget you, remember that “Whatever your lot, worship the Lord today. He is your living Redeemer, and “at the end He will stand on the dust.” Job 19:25 CSB. The Power of Support Whether you are trying to get out of an abusive relationship, just got out, or have been out for years, the power of a support system is important to your healing process. While the thought of finding support and opening up to people about what has happened in your relationship can seem daunting and emotionally draining, you need to know that you have people in your corner who love and care for you. The aftermath of leaving an abusive and toxic relationship has probably left you feeling isolated, vulnerable, and uncertain. I know where you are, I’ve been there myself. I was afraid, sad, and uncertain. I wasn’t sure who to trust, who wouldn’t judge me, or even how to move forward. First off, let me tell you how courageous you are. You took the first step to healing and that is by getting out of a toxic relationship. A powerful example of a supportive friendship when trying to heal is found in Matthew 9:1-8 when four men took their sick friend to see Jesus. It was crowded when they got to the roof, but these friends made a hole in the roof and lowered their sick friend down so he could be healed by Jesus. Friends, isn’t this the kind of support we all want? To know that someone is going to carry us to Jesus when we are sick. We need a support system that will pray for us and with us, remind us of whose we are, and offer unwavering support and compassion. What can this look like for you? Jesus is a friend to all, not just the churchgoers and angels but of all men. He has loved us before time. Luke 11:5-10 reminds us to be confident in knowing God will meet our needs. Through His incarnation and resurrection, He is our “brother”. We have the same Father. He is not ashamed of us. When looking for compassion and freedom, turn to Jesus. He loves you, will lift you up, and stand beside you through the toughest times. As Simon Peter said in John 6:68, “Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Many people abandoned Jesus in his suffering, but Jesus will not leave you in yours. In our suffering and healing, many will offer words they believe are helpful, like Job’s friends. During this time, we need to turn to the One with the answer. Let Him be a friend and brother you can always turn to. Friends are a blessing from God. In Proverbs 17:17, a true friend loves through everything, and a brother will always help during hard times. This should be the definition of exhibiting what true love and friendship looks like. Standing by your side in good times and in bad. This should have been what we all experienced during our marriages. I’m sorry someone didn’t uphold their end of the vow. But I pray each of you has a friend who stands beside you and offers Godly advice and turns you toward Jesus. Jonathan and David were the best of friends. Jonathan protected David from his father, Saul, and David looked after Jonathan’s children after he died. Despite their differences and today, they would be unlikely friends, they were the best of friends. They looked out for one another, were not jealous of one another, and loved and respected each other. Although raised differently, they were both men of faith who served God and needed one another. They sealed their friendship with an oath, “Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘The Lord is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever,” in 1 Samuel 20:42.