SPIRITUAL ABUSE: WHEN A PASTOR OR MINISTRY BEGINS TO ABUSE THEIR PEOPLE “Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly–not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor.” 1 Peter 5:2-4 Never allow ANYONE abuse you in the name of Christ. Spiritual abuse within the church is a very serious occurrence and happens much more than you think. Pastors who beat their people into submission, ministries who manipulate the word in order to gain your last dollar and do it in the name of the cross, are symptoms relating to spiritual abuse within the church. The gospel does not come with an iron rod and a imposing pulpit. The gospel comes with grace, tempered with love and humility. When anyone, be it another believer, pastor, prophet or anyone else, uses the word to condemn another believer, if they use their knowledge of scripture to harass or belittle someone else into what they believe as truth, that individual is an abuser, they are a bully and they should be ignored and left alone. When someone pressures you into believing as they do, and they rant and carry on by using the word to prove their right, what they are actually doing is called intimidating the person through religion and it’s evil. Satan is the only one who works thru intimidation, guilt and fear. When someone begins to display certain traits relating to Christian behavior and ministry to where others begin to feel uncomfortable and uneasy, it’s a sure sign one needs to get away from that person, or ministry, regardless of how popular they are or it is, for the only result will be a believer who will become abused through the course of their time with that particular leader. It happens quite often. When a church leader begins to abuse, the signs are very clear: control, intimidation, financial pressure to constantly give to the “gospel”, threats of a curse if one does not tithe, desiring to know personal matters, involving themselves with a members life outside the church and then desire to control those situations, even involving themselves in the personal relationships of a person, be it dating relationship or marriage, are indicators that leader is operating in an abusive role. Even many popular ministries are by their own right, guilty of abusing those who offer their time and support in the work that is being done. Constant monitoring of others (spying), controlling where a believer goes as it relates to another ministry, even having an online presence, many times a ministry will begin to censor someone from simply engaging with others in an online forum, or a Facebook account and the result is that ministry then begins to dictate what they can and cannot speak about online. Again, it is spiritual abuse. If a pastor states, “It’s my way or the highway” – leave them. Do not stay in an environment which the leader has made themselves supreme in behavior and conduct. This is again spiritual abuse. Jesus said, “Love one another as I have loved you”, he never established the roles within the church (pastor, apostle, prophet or evangelist or teacher) so that those within that role begin to lord over others, we are all equal in the eyes of God and as such, there is no one greater than the other. Actually, Jesus made it clear that we are to SERVE one another. Serving someone means to humble oneself so that they are portraying the grace of God, not in a position of rule of authority, but simply allowing themselves to help others. That is the only solution to spiritual abuse within the church, coming back to the cross. Spiritual abuse is damaging, it can ruin lives and end the trust of many who fall victim to those who abuse their role in the lives of others. They are abusers who have no genuine love for others, nor do they desire to be loved, they hold those positions because deep down inside, they were probably abused as well at some point by someone in authority, and the cycle keeps going. The answer that can only break such a demonic cycle is Christ and a humbling of ones spirit, that is the only answer. Spiritual abuse can be overcome before it destroys others, but it takes a repentance of the heart and a humbling of the spirit of someone who has fallen under this spirit – and it is a spirit. Ours is not to rule over, nor abuse by our talents, gifts, wisdom or other, ours is to love and to motivate those around us, that is the reason why God has placed us within such a position, not to be vindictive, but to nurture others along the way. That is the spirit of Christ at work and not one who is a spiritual abuser. Christopher christopher152@gmail thepropheticnews/2014/07/13/spiritual-abuse-when-a-pastor-or-ministry-begins-to-abuse-their-people/
Posted on: Tue, 15 Jul 2014 09:36:25 +0000
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