Sexual Abuse: There is Restoration from Disgrace!

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There is an advertisement in Chicago that reads “Sometimes there are wounds that can’t be seen” in reference to soldiers who have a variety of syndromes of stress and trauma from war.  It is true there are many wounds that cannot be seen.  There is another type of would I want to focus on, sexual wounds.

I know there are people who have suffered sexual trauma, abuse, rape, and other forms of repulsive sins.  If you are one of them, know there is restoration.  God knit you together in your mother’s womb, and can re-knit you, restore what was lost, from the inside out.

There is a book I want to extend to you, Rid of my Disgrace, by Lindsey and Justin Holcomb.  An interviewer of the author asked him, “You want something to happen out there in people’s lives.  What is the one impact you long for most of all?”

“The disgrace that results from sexual assault has a way of grinding people down and heaping huge burdens on them.  Because of it people feel lonely, filthy, worthless, repulsive, hopeless, and unwanted.  Our hope is that God will use the clear Gospel message of the book to eliminate that disgrace and its effects.  What victims need is for God to be strong when they are weak and to be close to the brokenhearted.  We want people to experience God fulfilling his promises to them.  We pray that God uses the book to apply the grace from Jesus deeper than the wounds people have experienced.”

– Justin Holcomb, author Rid of my Disgrace

An article on Grace and Disgrace in light of sexual abuse.

An excerpt from the article:

“This post is written to sexual assault victims, not about them. What happened to you was not your fault. You are not to blame. You did not deserve it. You did not ask for this. You should not be silenced. Nobody had the right to violate you. You were supposed to be treated with dignity and respect. You are not damaged goods. You are not worthless. You do not have to pretend like nothing happened. Healing can happen, and there is hope. While all of this is true, you may still feel the effects of the sexual assault—disgrace, a deep sense of defilement and filth that is encumbered with shame….

The Bible begins with creation in harmony, unity, and peace, and it ends with a restored creation. In between these two “bookends” unfolds the drama of redemption. Salvation was needed because of the tragedy of human rebellion that resulted in disgrace and destruction. Because God is faithful and compassionate, he restores his fallen creation and responds with grace and redemption. This good news is fully expressed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and its scope is “as far as the curse is found.”

Buy the book here.

I don’t pretend there is a quick fix to the deep matters of the heart, but I pray this may aid in your healing and restoration.

The all-encompassing power of Restoration!

 

Those who are married will totally know what I’m talking about.  Yesterday, was one of those days, where my wife and I were both just upset with each other.  I can’t really remember where it all came from.  All the snarling, back-biting, and jumping on each other’s backs was probably an ugly combination and result of intense hunger pains, miscommunications, and an unwillingness to back down on proving ones own point.  Its funny how the fullness of ourselves get in the way between us and our loved ones.  Needless to say, there was bad air between us as we slept.  Neither of us were letting go of the arguments and the hurt.  So we fell asleep to hopefully start over afresh tomorrow.

 

Husbands and wives, you’ll know what I mean when I say that this morning as I woke up, I had one of those “What just happened last night?” moments.  It didn’t make sense.  I was stupid.  What was I trying to prove!?  I thought to myself, I have to make this right.  I did the thing that I don’t do very often, and should do more, but I walked over, wrapped my arms around her, and said, “I’m sorry sweety about yesterday.”

 

Fast forward to this morning.  I’m texting with Emily over Gmail chat, just as any responsible employee would do while at work, and in the midst of a chat about something else she blurts out, “I could have stayed in your arms forever, I loved how the world just disappeared, and all I wanted was you.”  YEAH!  Do I have the best wife in the world or WHAT?  I do, I know I do!

 

Sometimes when the light bulb comes on, it really comes on.  In that moment, something really clicked for me!!  The thing I want in life the most, the thing I desire, is to be restored!  RESTORATION!!  Bring it on!!

 

Restored?  To what?  You have a beautiful wife, you have a job, to what do you want to restore back to.  Restoration, as in being restored to a previous point in history, not really, but sort of.  If restoration in history, the point in time I have in mind, is the Garden of Eden!

 

The restoration I’m talking about is the restoring of creation to its original perfect purpose!  The restoration of the world that will happen when King Jesus comes back, and fulfills everything.  This restoration will be greater than that which was found in the garden.  Creation groans for this.  I groan for this.  Oh to walk with Christ in the cool of the day, to walk and talk with Him.  To have perfect fellowship with God almighty once again!

 

Sometimes I like to bask in the warmth of the sun.  But OH to bask in the sufficiency of the presence of God that will FILL the entire earth.

 

Sometimes I like a good steak.  But OH the fellowship of the divine will consume all and every appetite, perfectly!

 

Sometimes I like hanging out with friends.  But OH to fellowship with the world, perfectly, and to have perfect fellowship in the Spirit!  No more fights, no more murder, no more rape, no more poverty, no more HIV epidemics…..just pleasure and joy forevermore!!

 

So the next time you fight with your spouse or whomever, seek out restoration!  We were made to be restored.  Seek it out among yourselves, die to yourself, and live for others.

 

This song sings beautifully about how God longs to be restored to us, by Neal Morse, one of my favorites.