It bothers me to see references to "repenting" of self-injury or that cutting "hurts Jesus".
No matter if you believe those things or not, saying things like that to a person who's psychologically fragile can be absolutely devastating. Trust me.
God loves me and, as such, doesn't want me to see harm come to me, self-imposed or otherwise. It was only when I shed those old feelings of guilt and shame and took on the understanding of God as loving Father rather than hard-nosed Judge that I really started to find healing.
Cutting is an ineffective way of truly dealing with hurt. God's way of dealing with hurt works. So, as my Loving Father, He wants me to go with that way. However, figuring out God's way of dealing with pain can be quite difficult, and I think He understands that. I don't think He's standing there, cracking the whip at people who slip up in regards to this.
I've prayed "Lord, I know that cutting isn't really helping me; help me rely on You and Your way instead; help me find out what that is."
God has been gentle with me, and through His gentleness I've learned to be gentle with myself.
I don't know, I guess might have to do with approach to faith in general, so some people might not like it on the basis of that.
It's just painful for me to see further shame brought to people who are often SIing because of shame in the first place.
No matter if you believe those things or not, saying things like that to a person who's psychologically fragile can be absolutely devastating. Trust me.
God loves me and, as such, doesn't want me to see harm come to me, self-imposed or otherwise. It was only when I shed those old feelings of guilt and shame and took on the understanding of God as loving Father rather than hard-nosed Judge that I really started to find healing.
Cutting is an ineffective way of truly dealing with hurt. God's way of dealing with hurt works. So, as my Loving Father, He wants me to go with that way. However, figuring out God's way of dealing with pain can be quite difficult, and I think He understands that. I don't think He's standing there, cracking the whip at people who slip up in regards to this.
I've prayed "Lord, I know that cutting isn't really helping me; help me rely on You and Your way instead; help me find out what that is."
God has been gentle with me, and through His gentleness I've learned to be gentle with myself.
I don't know, I guess might have to do with approach to faith in general, so some people might not like it on the basis of that.
It's just painful for me to see further shame brought to people who are often SIing because of shame in the first place.
I know what you mean. Keep one thing in mind though, God is a God of love, but He is also a God of Justice. He loves us and is there holding our hand the whole way through but He also lets us reap the consequences
when people call self-injury "self-mudilation" Most SIers dont want to SI to deform their body. They do it the get some control, to release pain, and stuff like that. Even if they do it to punish themselves for not being perfect or something like that, I dont think they want to mudilate themselves. Alchoholics dont drink to kill there organs; they drink for fun, to kill pain, to forget, or something like that. Smokers dont smoke to kill their lungs. SI is just like that! People just make me so mad when they think they understand and they dont! Only another SIer can understand and even then, situatioins are always different, so they cant completely understand.
Its easy to say but hard to do, i know. But when you have the desire to SI, know that there is always someone else struggling with SI with you. You aren't alone. We aren't alone.
