June Hunt - Domestic Violence: Assault on a Womans Worth

The printed version of this eBook is the Domestic Violence: Assault on a Womans Worth book, ISBN-13: 9781596366824

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Domestic Violence: Assault on a Womans Worth
Copyright 2013 Hope For The Heart
All rights reserved.
Published by Aspire Press
An imprint of Hendrickson Publishing Group
Rose Publishing, LLC
P.O. Box 3473
Peabody, Massachusetts 01961-3473 USA
www.HendricksonPublishingGroup.com

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DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Assault on a Womans Worth

JUNE HUNT

• Gives practical advice and Biblical wisdom from June Hunt, a biblical counselor whose award-winning radio program Hope For The Heart is heard on more than 900 radio outlets around the world. For more than 25 years, she has counseled people, offering them hope for todays problems.
• Outlines a Christian approach to help you identify physical and emotional abusebehavior checklist included with a list of behaviors that you may have observed or experienced.
• Supplies questions and answers to stop and avoid physical and emotional abuse, includes causes of violent behavior, the reasons many women won't leave abusive relationships, how to set healthy boundaries, and more!

Dear friend,

Intelligent, competent, assured

These words painted the picture of an attractive, energetic young woman whom I had known casually for over ten years. But when I received word that, at the hands of her husband, she had been a victim of repeated violence, my first thought was, How could this be?

After all, she had worked for several years at a Christian ministry training people how to study the Bible. Then she attended a respected seminary where she met her future husband. However, after they married, her confidence decreased and her fear increased. Unbeknownst to family and friends, she was being abused.

How could she tell anyone? She wanted to protect the image of her little family. Surely if she tried hard enough he would stop; typically thats what all abused women think. But not so. Now he was divorcing her for another woman, and they were in the midst of a custody battle over their two young sons.

The judge ruled that until a decision was made as to which parent would have custodial care, this arrangement was to be followed: The children were to stay in the home, and each parent would rotate in and out every other week. So every other week for about a year and a half, she stayed in my home.

We had many late night talks. The one that stands out most in my memory was the evening I asked if she had any pictures to prove to the judge that her husband was an untrustworthy, violent man. Immediately she went to the guest bedroom and returned with pictures of herselfpolice photographs that showed her head severely bruised and swollen. I was stunned. I hadnt expected such graphic pictures. (Her husband had denied the abuse, claiming instead that she had inflicted the injuries on herselfa common blame game tactic!)

When I gave her this material on domestic violence, she quickly identified with the Scripture twisting. This simply means that many wife batterers are adept at manipulating their wives with Scriptures, such as Ephesians 5:22 Wives, submit to your husbands but are careless about heeding all the verses against violence. (And sadly, as of yet, I have never talked with an abused woman who has heard Scriptures presented from the pulpit that encourage her to seek the protection she so desperately needs.)

Rather, after an incident of abuse, too many women hear foolish statements like, What did you do to cause it? This indicates that his violent sin is her fault. (Now she is being doubly victimized.)

It is no surprise that many women who suffer abuse are disheartened, confused and distressed. They wonder, Must I really suffer at the hands of someone who has sworn to protect and cherish me? And where is God when I am hurting so much?

The greater truth is that God is not only with those who suffer, but that He also has provided a way of deliverance through His Word. The joy of victory and healing is available to any who seek it. My prayer is that the biblical truths shared within the pages of this book will be used by God to free you or someone you know from the shackles of unjust suffering.

Yours in the Lords hope,

P.S. Now, for the rest of the story: First, after two years, my friend was awarded custody of her children. Second, the judge admitted that, in retrospect, his better judgment would have been to assign only one parent custodial care until a permanent decision was made. And last, my friends ex-husband served no time in jail and received no sentencing for his abuse.

Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered. (Proverbs 22:24)

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Assault on a Womans Worth

This story is real. The facts are true.

He is prominent and highly esteemed, praised for his significant contributions to the community. What woman wouldnt feel fortunate to be his wife? She certainly has all the finer things in life. And the children have the best that money can buy. How could she think of destroying such a picture-perfect family? How could she risk losing her security or stepping into an unknown future?

Where would she go? What could she do? How would she support herself? Even worse, if she began to expose the terrible truth, would she lose her children?

She feels hopeless. Who would believe her? No one could conceive that such a pillar of the community could pummel his wife night after night with painful punches. She is skilled at hiding her feelings, as well as her bruises. With swollen, tear-stained eyes, she wrongfully reasons, Its mostly my fault anyway!

But her Creator God knows the undeniable truth:

You hear, O L ORD , the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more. (Psalm 10:1718)

God designed the marriage relationship to balance, to benefit, and to better one another. With the first marriage on earth, He created Eve to be the perfect companion for Adam. He intended the pair to love, honor, and cherish each other all the days of their lives, just as He intends for every married couple today.

But in too many homes around the world, the marriage bond has become bondageshared lives have become shattered by abuse. Husbands are berating, belittling, betraying their wives. Yet these secret assaults stay hidden from the outside world. The sacred relationship created by God has been undermined by one mate hurtingeven harmingthe other.