Mind Games | Family Voices | Restore Us

But he refused to listen to her, and since he was stronger than she, he raped her.  2 Samuel 13:14

Although David was a man after God’s own heart, his kids belonged on Israel’s Most Wanted. Because David had not listened to God’s instructions about marriage, he kept adding wives and the children of those wives created chaos. One son, Amnon, became obsessed with his half-sister, Tamar, and connived a plan to violate her innocence and satisfy his lust. So he lured her to his room, pretending to be sick. When she brought him food, he sent everyone else away and raped her. Tamar was devastated and sought refuge in her brother Absalom’s house where she hid in isolation for the rest of her life. Absalom, consumed with hatred for Amnon, murdered him and then set out to steal his father David’s kingdom. (Your kids looking better?)  

We long for a dream family, but some get stuck with their worst nightmare. While it seems everyone else is enjoying Hallmark moments, some share a dinner table with rejects from the Jerry Springer Show. Our deepest wounds are usually created by family. Their voices echo in our minds and we secretly fear they are right. We’re consumed with thoughts of “Maybe if I hadn’t…” or “If only I had…” and judge our childish decisions with the insight of adulthood. Like Tamar, we build walls around our lives and consider ourselves irreparably broken. But God invites us to bring that tragedy to Him and let go of it. He offers to restore our hearts and rebuild our lives. But we must stop listening to the voice of past abuse. It doesn’t get to direct our future.

Final Thought:  If your family created secret wounds like Tamar’s did, don’t follow her example. Let God restore your heart.

Prayer: Lord, you know the secret wounds I’ve carried. I’ve tried to deal with them, but maybe they still make some of my choices. I’m ready to let you heal me completely. Show me the next step in recovering what they stole. In Jesus’ name, amen.