Beauty for Ashes by Joyce Meyer addresses the needs of victims of abuse. The path to recovery brings healing but requires difficult decisions in the near future.

Even if the path of healing and forgiveness is painful, with God’s help, victims of abuse have an opportunity to work through their past suffering.

There are times when we are abused or mistreated so badly that it affects all future dealings in our lives. This may not be a conscious behavior change but an emotional addiction. We need to ask God for emotional healing to move away from the past and into a rewarding future in Christ.

The journey will not be easy, it may be painful at times and will require patience, but God will be with you throughout as a Guide. If you are ready to start this journey, this study will help. Get ready to exchange your ashes for the beauty you can find in God.

In this summary, you will learn:

  • how God can free you from the emotional prison that abuse and mistreatment create;
  • ways to recognize fear as a root of addictive behaviors; and
  • steps to let the Holy Spirit comfort you as you find wholeness.

Recovering from abuse is challenging because it demands action from the victim.

Victims of trauma and abuse may appear to have their lives together, but on the inside, many are psychologically deficient and unable to function in a reasonable manner in everyday life events. This does not mean these individuals (including you) are not capable of living a normal, fulfilled life, but that it must be done through seeking God.

God’s main concern is our inner life because that is where and how we enjoy His presence. God is the best at bringing people from a place of destruction to a place of complete victory. He desires to reign over our mind, emotions, desires, and will. If God’s kingdom rules within us, we enjoy peace, joy, and righteousness with no need to worry about externals. Before all else, we must seek the kingdom of God. No matter what difficulties we experience in our outward lives, if we are whole inside, we will survive and enjoy life.

Emotional healing, or inner healing, comes through a biblical approach. We must remember that the visible things are temporal, but the invisible are everlasting. The momentary afflictions that Paul speaks of are unbearable emotional pain for some. But Jesus came to heal the brokenhearted. We can take comfort and be encouraged knowing that the Lord is our Helper.

Almost all people will experience some abuse or a time when they feel mistreated. Some are severely traumatized by this mistreatment. Any form of ongoing abuse can produce a root of rejection in the mistreated individual. If we have been treated wrongly or improperly, it can deeply affect the emotional state. To be healed, you must want to be well. Not everyone wants to get well badly enough to do what is required.

Gaining freedom from emotional bondage is not easy, for you have to face pains from the past that you would rather not face. Some people find difficulty in accepting responsibility for their emotional health.

Victims of abuse often place themselves in an emotional prison. Yet God holds the key.

Our behaviors have root causes, and we must address past abuse to find healing and change our ways.

Fear is a normal part of being abused in any manner. Abuse may leave a person emotionally handicapped and unable to maintain healthy, lasting relationships with others. It can also leave those who are abused filled with self-pity. Even Christians, those who are born again, can have these feelings.

As a response, we often think that possessions or objects will fulfill us, but we have to find true joy in Christ. And we cannot do works to earn this.

Sadly, we often remain ignorant of the real problem. The true need is emotional healing.

First, we must realize that our behaviors are like fruit – they are the result and have a cause. Thus, the roots that feed our fruit need to be carefully examined. The good news is you can be removed from bad soil to develop healthy roots. We can be rooted in the love that is Christ. Jesus will graft you into Himself, giving you all you need.

Just as when a foul smell comes from a refrigerator and everything must be removed to find the culprit, so we must search for what is rotten deep inside of us. Being uprooted, looking for the spoilage, can be traumatic and painful. It is a process of being replanted.

Through faith and patience, we inherit God’s promises, so we must be patient with the work God is doing in our lives. Remember that God is the Author and Finisher, and He will finish what He starts in us.

Many folks seem confident, but if superficial confidence is stripped away, they are truly scared. There is an inner turmoil just below the surface. Even though many of us are miserable and unhappy, we pretend that things are fine. We tend to act for others and ourselves, avoiding the real issues. We may not even realize what is missing until we get a glimpse of it through God’s Word. To truly understand this, we must face the truth of our past so God can compensate for what was lost or missing.

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