Speaking of being emasculated….
….It is interesting, how something written figuratively in my previous post sparked memories of the literal scenario, and it is yet another example of Spiritual Abuse. While I intended to write, at some point, about what Spiritual Abuse does to manhood, I will use the previous post as a segue into a rather stunning case of Spiritual Abuse. This post is an introduction to the story, but the story itself will not begin until the next post… maybe later today…. maybe tomorrow, depending on how long I decide to leave you in limbo-land.
Given my opening line, I expect the gentlemen will read these next few posts with an element of discomfort. This topic has a way of causing nervousness in men. I hope that the spiritual reality of this part of the series will make both men and women of God restless—restless enough to inspire a spiritual revolution that gives back to God the rightful authority He longs for, and restores in His children the free will that He blessed us with. Until that is restored, the church will not have the power God intended it to have.
The man in the story was given advice that, had he followed it, would have, literally, stripped him of his masculine identity. After the story, I will move into the spiritual aspect of men being stripped of their God-given identity and true leadership.
My prayer is that this part of the Spiritual Abuse series will inspire men of God to rise up, and reclaim your role and identity. That you will be inspired to be the men of honour God has called you to be, and to lead well in the role God has placed you, whether church leaders, fathers, husbands , business leaders or any other calling.
Nature teaches us what society fights hard against—that men are protectors, providers and called to affirm their daughters, their sons and all those they lead. Tragically, through Spiritual Abuse, religious systems often turn this into control, versus leadership, and further damage.
Between the damage of religious systems and dark side of feminism, it is time to reclaim territory from the enemy. It is time for the church and women to empower men in healthy ways, to call out the good that has been shut down.
For those of you—especially women who have been wounded by men, as I also have—who feel rage at this thought, remember that empowering is very different from ‘giving control’. Control is damaging and it is what we are attempting to undo. Control is what people use when the don’t feel empowered, when they are afraid, or have lost their identity. Truly empowering men will bring out the best in them. I know. I am married to a true leader, a man who is unselfish, yet strong, and has a servant heart. He has launched me farther than I could have ever gone on my own. If I had resented or resisted his leadership, I would have lost that blessing. Because of my experience, I am a firm believer in empowering men.
As for the story… it is one of the most difficult spiritual abuse stories I have heard, but one that exposes the depth of depravity and, transitions into a spiritual analogy about what spiritual abuse—or religiosity—does to men. (Thank you to men who have shared their stories with me. While I won’t share publicly things shared in confidence, it has helped me understand what happens to men in Spiritual Abuse.)
I will write as eloquently as one possibly can, about a situation as extreme as the one I am about to share. I will hide the identity of the gentleman about whom I write, because it is an unusually vulnerable story.
My goal is to keep my blog posts a bit shorter and more manageable for a quick read, so that’s all for now…
To be continued….
© Trudy Metzger 2012
Go to first post in this series: http://trudymetzger.com/2012/05/22/spiritual-abuse-introduction/
A Splash of Love.... 