My parents are abusive. What can I do?
"Peter and the other apostles replied, 'We must obey God instead of people!'" (Acts 5:29).
"But here is what I tell you. Love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you" (Matthew 5:44).
"Try your best to live in peace with everyone. Try hard to be holy. Without holiness no one will see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14).
If your parents are abusive, you need to talk to another trusted adult, such as a teacher or your pastor.Abuse is never okay. The Bible does tell us to honor our parents, but this doesn’t apply to abusive parents. If an abusive parent commands us to do something wrong that would harm us or goes against the Bible, we do not have to obey them. We are to obey God rather than people (Acts 5:29).
Talk to a trusted adult in your life, such as a teacher at your school or your pastor at church. Tell them about the abuse you are experiencing from your parents. They will be able to get you the help you need. It is important that you do not remain silent. You need to speak up and tell someone about your abuse. Don’t be afraid—God is with you (Psalm 23).
Abuse comes in many forms, including emotional, physical, verbal, and sexual abuse. God doesn’t want you to endure this abuse from your parents or anyone else. Speak up and talk to your pastor or another trusted adult. There is hope for your future beyond the abuse. God has a very special purpose for your life and He loves you dearly.
