When Should Family Members Separate?

Abused family members can step out of obscurity… and be healed! Sometimes it means stepping away from one’s own family to do so. A Christian family is not excluded.

Remember that Jesus spoke about divisions within a family:
“They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law." Luke 12:53 The context of this meaning is not like that of the precursors of cults where the gospel is keeping others away from the new believer, but quite the opposite! It simply means that the news of Christ will separate many due to its impressive truth, including the closest of relationships… that a family will not be preferred over Christ Himself. In other words, how could God in the flesh  (Immanuel, Jesus) possibly suggest what many establishments would consider cults, (anti-social/establishment groups) should be brainwashed to believe acute separateness is necessary for religious preservation and holiness status?  That pulling the family apart comes to true Holy Spirit infusions? Not so.
Should there be divisions,  they never come without reason, love, and eventual peace marked by the confirmation of others.

Abuse never fully dies until an abused one comes forward.  This is what happened to two particular adult children. At the risk of someone being offended, the one seeking redemption from family flaws matured and made some positive choices in their endeavors with educational pursuits and career overtures. The healthy support of an understanding spouse helped to enable that direction and choice. The other adult  was held up by wasteful bouts of past substance abuse, and though recovered for the most part, is still being hung over by its consequences… boxed in by fewer visible signs. Seems the hidden triumphs are not seen by others the way the other sibling's has.  Not to worry, it is seen by the Almighty!

Should guilt, therefore, be felt by the one who accomplished more in the educational world? Of course not! Should the one who has not yet achieved similar personal achievement bring the sufferage of the family to the face of the other just to remind him/her that the origin is the important factor, and anything else is snobbery? Again, absolutely not! That is coveting ( desiring what someone else has with an envious attitude).  Guilt and envy never brought a family to the same mind pursuits. Nor did snobbery, narcissisms, or negative superiority complexes.

I conclude with something that may surprise and challenge many readers. If someone is in a mentally stable place and seems to feel robbed by weighty family issues that nearly tore him or her apart, it’s best that person let go, at least for awhile, or the essence of abuse could repeat itself.  With the redeeming virtues of  persisting care and forgiveness, I personally feel confident that there will be a resuming of partnership down the road that oddly will be sweeter than ever before!