Do abused children have a difficult time accepting God's love as adults?

Question

Do children think God doesn't care or there is no God if they did not receive the love and protection of their parents or other adults when growing up?

Do these same children - once they are adults, pass this distrust of Love on to their children? How can we stop the cycle and show them God's Love?

I have been abused mentally and physically at various times in my life, but through it all I have found my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who gives me comfort. My faith in God is unshakable. He is my Strength, my Comfort, my Counselor, my Fortress. He gives me unconditional Love that no person on this earth can ever match. His Love is eternal. If we can share His Love with others, we can lessen their pain and suffering. God is Love.

I wonder if others who have been abused have come to know God's Love or if they have closed off the ability to feel or accept Love. This is what I am asking.

Answer 1

I have to take my son to school. I am going to answer this one when I get back. I was abused, I think I can offer some insight.


Ok, here I am again.
I was abused mentally, emotionally and physically growing up. Mostly by my dad. It seemed like my dad was never pleased with anything that I did and still not is. What I have had a hard time with in the past is trying to please God. I have gotten so anxious and so worried that everything that I do is not pleasing to God and if I think that I have done something wrong, then that would just about have messed me up for two or three days.
And then I started to see a counselor and the Holy Spirit was really ministering to me too, and made me realize that the reason why I was doing this was because I was associating my heavenly Father with my earthly father.
I had to stop doing that,
and I have since moved on toward separating the two, it is still hard sometimes,
but I pray about it and I have been much happier.
I realized that my dad is just a man that has made a lot of mistakes, he can't give me anything that I truly need.
God fulfills my emotional needs,
my old self died on the cross with Jesus and I have a new life in Jesus Christ.
No need for me to go back to that old life where I was anxious all the time about JUST A MAN!

Answer 2

Absolutely not, I grew up being told I was worthless. My mother told me if abortion had been legal when she was pregnant with me I would have never been born. I was so self destructive it's amazing I didn't kill myself when I was younger ( though I did think about it regularly) Now I know that through all those years, God knew me, and loved me, and was just waiting for me to find Him. Now that I have, I know His love is the greatest and most true love that there is. To those who scoff at me because I lean on God for everything; I've been a believer for 8 years, in that time He has come through for me like no one else ever has. After a disasterous life, two failed marriages and multiple re-do's in my life, the only constant is God's love. I'll never doubt it!!

Answer 3

I don't know.

Joyce Mayer is one of the most influential Christian preachers today; and she was abused as a child.

I don't think God permits or allows abuse - but I do think sometimes He can make some good come out of even the most horrific of situations.

I just hope and pray I never have to go through any of it!

Answer 4

My wife was abused when she was younger and she has that exact problem. In fact it causes most problems in our marriage. In fact all of our problems so far have been rooted to that. Subconsciously she thinks that God couldn't exist or he wouldn't allow that. She doesn't realize that our whole goal here is to become like God (perfect) so he must allow us our agency; and as bad as it was he had to let that man abuse her. The only way to remedy the problem is for me to stay constant (not hard because she's so wonderful) and for her to trust in Jesus, and let him take away her pain. You know what? When we've done that, the problem disapears.

Answer 5

I only know one abused person and he thinks the Romans created God to control people..

Answer 6

You are talking about generational curse. It is real and biblical.
The only cure is the Holy Spirit. by His stripes we are healed. Very hard to overcome. Family prayer and fasting required.

Answer 7

i think it goes the other way, a lack of a parental figure on earth, makes for a higher need for "another" parental figure in the mind...

Answer 8

You know, I only know three people severely abused as children, and they are all Christian... so I suspect a flawed hypothesis on your end.

Answer 9

It would depend on the individual child and parent.

Answer 10

When I first learn this paragraph, I admit, I used to be in the beginning greatly surprised. However, I believe that it could emerge as clearer as I learn on and take a look at and comprehend the factor. Being a Jehovah's Witness there are going to be a few matters you'll no longer comprehend. If you're keen on Jehovah and God's phrase the bible you ask in prayer for know-how. Yet Jehovah won't tolerate one to invite with the which means to discredit. You ask for extra know-how. You patiently wait on Jehovah to provide you that know-how. It is just too unhealthy that witnesses, such as you potentially, didn't look ahead to a whole know-how and so that you provide your self an excuse to make your self suppose extra justified that you simply left a "dysfunctional group" as you declare. I have a Jehovah's Witness aunt that used to be in an abusive courting. He could beat her generally whilst she could come residence from the conferences. He could no longer enable her to have the bible within the residence. He verbally abused her as good. Let's take out her being a JW. He could have abused her besides. He used her faith as an excuse. She nonetheless could have stayed due to the fact that that's the mental syndrome that females cross by way of referred to as Stockholm Syndrome. This is any person that remains with their abuser. In this newsletter and with my aunt the option used to be to stick with their husband. If that's the option she desired to make, how can she make the high-quality of it. The recommendation is to be Christian like up to viable. That is what my aunt did. In later years whilst he used to be 60 years historical he suffered a stroke and needed to be in a wheelchair for the leisure of his lifestyles. Guess what? No extra abuse, and he needed to cross to the conferences together with her due to the fact that she used to be no longer going to overlook a assembly. That suggests the affection she has for Jehovah. He finally died and she or he is now unfastened to serve Jehovah with none distractions. Was she afraid to divorce him due to the fact that of the repercussions? No. She cherished her husband in a unusual means and that's why she stayed. Her niece, a JW, divorced her husband and used to be no longer disfellowshipped. There are sisters that divorce with out the grounds of adultery and the one factor they are not able to do is remarry till their ex has dedicated adultery in Jehovah's eyes. If they remarry earlier than that, then they've dedicated adultery in Jehovah's eyes and shall be disfellowshipped. So you might have all of it mistaken and sure YOU have neglected a few key aspects. Personal revel in - my husband is an unbeliever. When I grew to become reinstated he used to be no longer completely happy. We have kids and he forbade my kids from going and I might no longer take them with me. He could be verbally abusive in that he could talk disrespectful to me continuously whilst I got here again from the conferences and repair. The elders could ask approximately my husband if he used to be amiable toward me being a JW. I stated no and defined why I shouldn't have my kids with me. Not as soon as did they coach me to depart or stick with him. They could inspire me to maintain coming to the conferences and research the bible and so much of all pray to Jehovah. I did all of those matters. And I did not desire to depart my husband due to the fact that I cherished him. Eventually after a long time, my husband began to ease up. My kids had been competent to wait and he could even support get them in a position. I now don't get any resistance. It took 10 years. I waited on Jehovah and saved my love for him in consciousness. I am very completely happy for I have a well courting with Jehovah, my husband and I am nonetheless aside of his group. :) . The high-quality of all worlds. Endurance, endurance and know-how is the important thing.