What is abuse? What does the Bible say about it?
"He heals those who have broken hearts. He takes care of their wounds" (Psalm 147:3).
"Fathers, don’t make your children angry. Instead, instruct them and teach them the ways of the Lord as you raise them"(Ephesians 6:4).
"Husbands, love your wives. Don’t be mean to them" (Colossians 3:19).
Abuse is harmful. If you are experiencing abuse, you need to reach out to a trusted adult.Abuse is not always physical. Emotional abuse, verbal abuse, domestic abuse, child abuse, and spiritual abuse are all different types of abuses a person can experience in their life. If you need help at defining the different abuses, check out their descriptions below:
•Emotional abuse: This is when somebody abuses you emotionally. It could be done through verbal attacks, criticism, favoritism, manipulation, deceit, threats, and withheld expressions of love. This type of abuse is sometimes easily looked over because it is not as apparent as physical abuse.
•Verbal abuse: This is when somebody yells at you, calls you mean names, or belittles you. When a person says mean things to us, it is verbal abuse.
•Domestic abuse: This is when somebody tries to physically harm you. Examples could include being hit, punched, or having an object thrown at you. Domestic abuse can quickly escalate.
•Child abuse: This is when a parent abuses their child. This can be a parent either physically, emotionally, or verbally abusing their child.
•Spiritual abuse: This occurs when a spiritual leader claims they only have the true knowledge of God or they try to manipulate their congregation. Spiritual abuse can happen through manipulation, deception, and lying.
If you or anyone you know is going through any of these types of abuse, you need to let a parent, teacher, or trusted adult know. Being abused is never okay. Nobody should ever abuse you in any way. Jesus died in order for you to have an abundant life (John 10:10)—not a life of abuse.
