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 Many of us have heard Greg preach on the differences between the kingdom of this world and the kingdom of God. The kingdom of this world is driven by power over others symbolized by the sword. The kingdom of God is driven by power under others and symbolized by the cross. In the Bible Jesus tells us to "turn the other cheek" just as he told Peter to put away the sword. Sometimes this can seem confusing, especially when facing abuse. Does Jesus intend for the victims of abuse to turn the other cheek to their abuser? Is this what it means to turn the other cheek? The answer is a definitive "No."
The mission of Jesus was to bring light and truth into the world. Jesus came to earth to free those in bondage, to offer a way of hope to the hopeless, to lay down his life so that we might have abundant life. This mission does not align with our allowing an abuser to strike twice by "turning the other cheek." In fact God says in Proverbs 4:23, "Guard your heart with all diligence for from it comes the wellsprings of life."
The enemy of our soul (Satan) would like nothing better than to confuse Christians by blinding them from the truth of what it means to "turn the other cheek." Sometimes good hearted people, who are trying to follow Christ, are misguided into believing that "turning the other cheek" means the abuser is allowed to continue - the victim is merely supposed to forgive. The truth is that abuse is driven with the kingdom-of-the-world principle of influencing others by having power over them, and the goal of the enemy is to keep the victim living in the dark of this lie. 
This dark, cycle of abuse is often a trap that inevitably leads to more destructive obstacles in life – abuse often leads to low self-worth, anxiety, phobias, addictions, setting oneself up to failure, migraines, etc. Jesus came to free those in bondage and offer a way of hope out of the cycle of abuse. The battles in our lives, including abusive relationships, will not be solved by retaliating with the same sword; rather, the victory will be won by being brought out of the darkness into the light and truth in our spirit and mind. In the Word of God is found the truth about who we are and what God wants for each of us.
God wants us to be safe, free and renewed. He also wants us to guard our hearts. We are taught to "turn the other cheek" by not retaliating when a person does us harm, but instead we are to pick up our cross through finding our strength and hope in Christ. We look to the Words of Life to bring us out of the darkness and into the truth. We look to this truth to bring us out from the abuse and into safety. Sometimes picking up our cross means ending relationships, making lifestyle changes, or seeking others to help find the strength.
 There are many resources available to help people end the cycle of abuse and its effects. Whether the abuse is presently happening or if it is a fixture of the past, there are support groups through the Refuge, counselors through the Kainos ministry here at Woodland Hills and elsewhere, and safe places to go such as the Dwelling Place. Information about all of these and more is available through the Care ministry of Woodland Hills Church.
In addition, a new ten-week abuse support group will be starting in early April on Monday evenings at Five Oaks Church in Woodbury intended to help victims of abuse learn how to move away from being a victim into becoming victorious in their life. If you would like more information about this Woodland Hills-endorsed group, please call the Five Oaks Church office at 651-459-7485 or e-mail me directly (see address below).
article by Sheri Rozencrantz
email her about it at sherirosencrantz@msn.com
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