9th December 2022
If the cause of Domestic Abuse lies in broken masculinity and broken femininity as a result of Adam and Eve’s sin then the answer to Domestic Abuse must surely lie in Jesus, after all he came to restore and heal and put all that stuff right.
Sadly, I believe a lot of us think that Jesus being the answer to all our problems means we get to sit back and let him get on with it. Pray the sinner’s prayer, give your heart to Jesus then sit back and wait for the Kingdom of Heaven to arrive and he’ll make it all okay. But that’s not true, Jesus asks us to be Kingdom Builders, Fishers of Men, that doesn’t just mean evangelising and ‘winning souls’ it means creating a world with Kingdom values, a world of justice and peace. I fully believe Jesus will return and the Kingdom of Heaven will be fully established once humanity has got on board and started to build it, after all, God isn’t the kind of King who imposes his reign on us, but rather one who says “follow me” one who walks alongside us, works alongside us and loves it when we join in.
Jesus is the answer in that he shows us how we are supposed to live, what we need to do to live in that wonderful harmonious state of partnership and mutual love and submission that God designed for us. And men, you have an advantage here, because Jesus was a man, he demonstrates how to be a man, he is the epitome of perfect masculinity, if you really want to know what a “real man” looks like then you need look no further than Jesus.
If the heart of abuse is one person exerting power and control to “rule over” another then we need to look to how Jesus uses his power, how he, as King, rules. It’s the complete opposite of how we as humans perceive power, authority and leadership. Jesus takes a bowl and a cloth and proceeds to wash the feet of those he “rules over.” He chooses to live a life with no possessions, to ride a donkey rather than be driven in a limo, to be born in a stable rather than a palace. He chooses to take his power and use it to heal the sick, and not only this, but to give them credit for it “Your faith has healed you.” He chooses to defend women “leave her alone” and to hang out with the outcast, not the powerful. Ultimately he chooses to lay down all his power and authority altogether, and give it to humanity, the Church, his bride. That is what a real man looks like. He serves, he humbles himself, he heals and helps, he defends and comforts, he empowers others. He considers power something only to be used in the service of others, not something to wield but something to give.
Be like Jesus.
16days #16daysofactivism #orangetheworld
