Living Free Every Day®
A ministry of LivingFree.org

Today's Scripture
"Accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory." Romans 15:7 NLT

Thoughts for Today
As we learn to trust God, he will show us how to trust and accept others. He will help us understand human beings are fallible and may let us down. But Jesus accepted us with all our failings, and he wants us to do the same for others.

The Lord may show us how we have been bad risks for intimate relationships because of our fears and apprehensions and the protective actions we have taken, the walls we have built, when we felt we were getting too close. He will help us understand the negative reactions to closeness we experience from others may come from their anxiety and fear of closeness. We will see that they are struggling just as we are.

Consider this …
As we develop empathy with others who are struggling with fear, compassion helps us take our eyes off ourselves, and we learn to reach out to them in love. We refocus our concern on their comfort and ability to relax in the relationship rather than on ourselves. Our anxieties lessen.

As we take our eyes off ourselves, we will be more concerned about how we treat others. We will show more respect for those around us. The Lord will show us who we can trust and how much. Even those who cannot be trusted will be targets of our love, not our fear.

Prayer
Lord, thank you for accepting me, flaws and all. Help me do the same for others. Help me get my eyes off myself and my need to control, to protect myself. Help me to be more sensitive to the needs of others. Help me to be real with them. To build a relationship on acceptance and love. In Jesus' name . . .

These thoughts were drawn from …

Restoring Families: Overcoming Abusive Relationships through Christ by Janet M. Lerner, D.S.W. This study helps to minister to families caught in the cycle of abusive relationships. The curriculum deals with overcoming these abusive relationships through Christ and is recommended for use in support groups and Christian counseling.

• Ministers to families from abusive relationships
• Ministers to victims of family violence
• Deals with wounded emotions
• Deals with control and intimacy issues
• Presents a strong message of Christ as healer of abusive relationships

 Note: This curriculum was written especially for small groups, and we encourage people to use it that way. However, it can also be used effectively as a personal study for individuals or couples.

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