Have you ever felt trapped by the silent, oppressive chains of abuse or struggled with the deep-seated question of your own worth? In our latest episode, I, Maggie Wynn, take you on a poignant journey through the shadowy realm of abuse, from the visible scars of physical harm to the covert, corrosive effects of psychological and financial manipulation. We discuss the brutal breaking of spirits, akin to the tragic fate of circus elephants, and the subsequent battle for identity that plagues so many.
As we tread further along this heartfelt path, I open my heart about the perils of self-doubt and the solace faith provides to those haunted by a feeling of unworthiness. We delve into the transformative power of biblical scripture, providing practical advice for those wrestling with their internal demons. Whether it's finding comfort in worship, indulging in self-care, or resting in the boundless grace of Christ, this conversation is a beacon of hope for anyone seeking to reclaim their mental and emotional freedom.
The episode culminates in an inspiring exploration of healing and purpose, encouraging listeners to align with their Creator's original design. I share insights into the invigorating power of planting God's word in our hearts, and how scriptures like Isaiah 58 and Psalms 25 can guide us towards a life overflowing with value and purpose. If you're ready for a journey that promises to nourish your soul and reshape your life, this conversation is where your transformation begins.
Have you ever felt trapped by the silent, oppressive chains of abuse or struggled with the deep-seated question of your own worth? In our latest episode, I, Maggie Wynn, take you on a poignant journey through the shadowy realm of abuse, from the visible scars of physical harm to the covert, corrosive effects of psychological and financial manipulation. We discuss the brutal breaking of spirits, akin to the tragic fate of circus elephants, and the subsequent battle for identity that plagues so many.
As we tread further along this heartfelt path, I open my heart about the perils of self-doubt and the solace faith provides to those haunted by a feeling of unworthiness. We delve into the transformative power of biblical scripture, providing practical advice for those wrestling with their internal demons. Whether it's finding comfort in worship, indulging in self-care, or resting in the boundless grace of Christ, this conversation is a beacon of hope for anyone seeking to reclaim their mental and emotional freedom.
The episode culminates in an inspiring exploration of healing and purpose, encouraging listeners to align with their Creator's original design. I share insights into the invigorating power of planting God's word in our hearts, and how scriptures like Isaiah 58 and Psalms 25 can guide us towards a life overflowing with value and purpose. If you're ready for a journey that promises to nourish your soul and reshape your life, this conversation is where your transformation begins.
My name is Maggie Wynn, I am ordained Pastor, I am a medical assistant, I'm a missionary, I love the Lord, I'm a servant of the Lord and I am a life coach, and I am not a licensed psychologist. This research has been done on my own and I will give references at the end and I just pray that tonight will be a night that will be filled with an eye-opening of God's anointed presence, that you will see the areas in your life that have been cycles, that have been that you've been where you've been neglected or have neglected to take care of. I pray that, in the name of Jesus, you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. Welcome to Walking in Freedom. Today we are talking about shades of abuse. It's chapter two in the Walking in Freedom class.
Maggie Wynn:
The six types of abuse. Number one there's physical. There's intentional bodily injury. Examples include like slapping, pinching, choking, kicking, shoving or inappropriately using drugs or physical restraints. Signs of physical abuse sexual abuse is a non-consensual sexual contact and unwanted sexual contact.
Maggie Wynn:
Number two is neglect is the most common form of child abuse. Child neglect is a pattern of failing to meet a child's basic needs, such as food, clothing, hygiene or supervision. They aren't properly supervised or kept safe medically, denying or delaying necessary or recommended medical treatment. Emotional neglect, failure to attend to necessary emotional or psychological needs. Uninvolved parenting, where parents do not focus on their child's emotional needs, ignore the child completely or encourage a tough attitude. Number three is psychological. So we've gone through one physical abuse. Number two is neglect. Number three psychological abuse. So emotional abuse includes non-physical behaviors that are meant to control, isolate or frighten you. This may present in romantic relationships as threats, insults, constant monitoring, excessive jealousy, manipulation, humiliation, intimidation and dismissiveness, among others. Number four emotional. One of the hardest form of abuse to prove. Emotional abuse examples would be like A in front of other people, this person may laugh at you, call you names, make faces or roll their eyes when you're talking, or talking to someone belittling you in front of others. B would be they may also criticize everything you do the victim in a non-constructive way Emotional blackmail. They say things that they're going to do like if you don't have sex with me the way I want, I will go find it somewhere else. I will never be the same. If you're not in my life, I'll kill myself if you don't go with me. Those are things that they would say They'll gaslight you. And they'll say things like when someone intentionally manipulates another person into questioning or disbelieving their own thoughts or reality, often over an extended period of time, creating constant conflict, to where the other person feels as though they are at fault for the tension that exists in the relationship. So those are just a few.
Maggie Wynn:
Number five is sexual Victims can suffer psychological effects, including anxiety, depression, headaches, sleep disorders, weight loss or gain disorders, weight loss or gain, nausea, lowered self-esteem and sexual dysfunction. Number six financial, which could be a form of abuse in the sense of that it is a tactic used by abusers to increase control over their victim through maneuvers like reducing the victim's access to bank accounts and assets or forcing them to quit their job. It prevents victims from leaving an abusive relationship, and there's so much more. So, having gone through all of these, the question that I want to ask to you is that I want to ask to you is do you know who you are After you have gone through so much abuse? What happens to an individual when they have suffered all of these things? Who are they? They adapt to certain behaviors, they become a certain way because of their abuse, and I want to show you something that I thought was very interesting how elephants are trained in the circus. The abuse that they endure, the animals endure to be able to do the things that they do is out of their norm To bring entertainment for the people. It's very sad. So I want to show you when an elephant is trained to do certain things.
Maggie Wynn:
He first gets taken from his mother, his mother, his parents after nine months, and they begin to train this elephant to do certain things, and before they do, they have to break the elephant his will. They have to break his will and what they do is they use ropes that are tied around their ankles and their arms and they are stretched, and they use a metal bar that, when the elephant does not do what is told or commanded, they strike the elephant with that probe, sending electric shocks through that body and it's like a hook at the end of it that actually pierce the flesh of the elephant. Here is a picture of what the elephant is being conditioned. So right now they are gathering him, stretched with the rope, and all of these trainers are around him breaking his will, so that they can train this elephant to do what they need him to do in a circus. And all abuse delivers the desired final product. So what they're doing is they're doing this abuse to deliver a certain product. What is a product? The product is that they're wanting this elephant to perform well in a circus, to gain financial gains in a circus, to entertain people. All this abuse delivers the desired final product an animal to frighten and psychologically crush, to do anything but obey, but obey.
Maggie Wynn:
The saddest images available to the people for the ethical treatment of animals websites show the very young babies taking from their mother early so that they can learn the fear of humans and the pain that human handlers can inflict at a very early age. Here is another clip on the electric probe that is used to train the elephant. He's a little one, he's a little baby, and he's getting trained, tortured, to obey commands and here we have the final result. The final result is what? What elephant? Of what he weighs? So the elephant weighs a lot and he is doing these little tricks on a stool and he's standing up, which is a hard thing to do for them because they're they're pretty heavy, they're. So the mental abuse that they have they go through, um, the spectator may also note lameness and arthritis. So, as a result of all of the abuse the elephants go through. They develop arthritis, they develop certain things. Well, they get also sad. So they have emotions and they sway back and forth from all of the abuse they endure. So stay with me because I know this is like.
Maggie Wynn:
Why is she talking about elephants? Why am I being referred to as an elephant? You're not referred to as an elephant, but I want you to see these because I think they're very important when I go into the depth of what the enemy does to us emotionally, spiritually and physically. Emotionally, spiritually and physically what are the reasons for stereotypical behaviors in elephants? If, for instance, an elephant seeks physical contact to another elephant and is prevented from doing so to being chained up, it may react by displaying stereotypical behavior. The elephant will begin weaving and will continue to do so until it has reached its goal, such as until it is able to touch the other elephant or until distracted by new stimulus. If it is not allowed to satisfy this key stimulus either, the circle of disappointment begins again and the elephant may degenerate to sad, frustrated, to a frustrated creature.
Maggie Wynn:
So now, if you can think about all of the times in your life because see the enemy, what he does when he attacks you. He comes at you when you are a child. What he does is he inflicts you. So you go through this neglect, you go through abandonment or probably abuse, and what I mean by that is, like your mother, your parents abused you in the sense of they didn't either meet your need, they were not there for you, they didn't show up to the games, they didn't participate in school, they were absent in the home due to work or whatever. But those are the things that you have probably endured. You figured out a way to cope with these things, and so you either watched a lot of TV you probably went outside all the time or, isolated by yourself, probably overate, just to satisfy that anxiety of being alone, of something to do, watched so much TV and left alone to take care of others, other children. And so, again, my question to you is do you see what the enemy has done from that point till now and who you have become, but who you are supposed to be, based on what God's word says Growing up?
Maggie Wynn:
What happens is you have developed all of this stuff that's been going on in your home, or you have endured sexual abuse, or you have all this traumatic events of people dying in front of you, one by one, losing family members to an illness. So all of these things create this longing, for when it comes to losing someone, you have that, oh my God. You get attached to someone. You don't want to let them go, or you get detached from people and you only get attached a certain amount of the way, so you won't open up your mind, you won't open up your heart to them, because you're afraid you're going to lose them. The other thing is there's so many different examples, and so I'm trying to narrow it down the best way I can.
Maggie Wynn:
But the Word of God says that he formed you in your mother's womb, he knew you, he foresaw you before the beginning of time, and so that's what I want us to look at when you think about everything that's happened to you in your life, all of the trauma, all of the loss, all of the chaos, and it has led you to a certain place, to where you are now, and how do you heal from those things? Certain place to where you are now, and how do you heal from those things? The Word of God says in Jeremiah 29, 11 says for I know the plans that I have for you declares the Lord plans to give you a hope and a future and not to harm you. So your question may be well, if that is the desire of God's heart for me, then why the pain? Why did I go through what I went through?
Maggie Wynn:
The reality is that life can be painful. Pain is not prejudice. It will affect everyone and at any age. The important thing to remember that God is good. 1 Corinthians 6, 19, 20 says I have been bought with a price and I belong to God First. Corinthians 12, 27 says I am a member of Christ's body. Ephesians 1, 3 says I have been chosen by God and adopted as his child. And you may ask yourself the same questions I asked myself. If I am adopted and if I am a child of God, then why so much pain Out of the five billion sperm? You and I made it so.
Maggie Wynn:
Therefore, God predestined you, he first saw you, he knew you, he knew you were going to exist when Jesus died on the cross. It doesn't say that he died 2,000 years ago. In Revelation it says 13:8. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the book of life, in the book of life of the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world. So therefore, he was slain before the foundation of the world. He had a meeting, god had a meeting with the Holy Spirit and the Son, and they said this is what we're going to do, we are going to create. And then one of them said well, the word said what if they don't accept us? What if they reject us? And God said you know what? We're going to prepare a way, we're going to prepare a path so that they can be free, so they can come to know you. And guess what? Jesus, you're going to have to die. And Jesus said okay, I'm going to have to die, I'm dead. So when he says that he is faithful to complete a good work in you, he's already done it. The moment that he said he will complete a work in you, that means he's already done it. He's the alpha and the omega, he's the beginning and the end.
Maggie Wynn:
So when we cannot answer this question, it's mainly because we have adapted to other voices. So when you don't believe that you're a child of God, that you've been adopted into the kingdom, it's because you're hearing this voice that says remember when you were little and remember what they said to you, or remember what happened to you that night, that someone raped you or took advantage of you or sexually abused you, or your mother beat you, or they left you, they abandoned you in the middle of nowhere as a child. So you've allowed those voices that tell you you're no good, you're not worthy, you're not worthy to be loved, you're not worthy to continue to live in this world. Why were you born? You were a mistake. You were a mistake, and that's a lie from hell, it's a lie from the enemy that has allowed you that. You've allowed to shape your form, your way of thinking, and so you've created patterns, you've created behaviors that led you to either survive, because you're constantly hearing these voices that are telling you you're not good enough, you're a mistake. If they loved you, then why did they leave you?
Maggie Wynn:
So God says about who you are is that you are fearfully and wonderfully made, that he foresaw you, he knew you before the beginning of time. So we fight. How do we fight? How do we undo the things that the world, that life, that even people we loved have told us about ourselves? So you have to undo all of those things. It's like a layer, it's like an onion and you have to peel back those layers, one by one, and again and again. We fight with the word of God. We fight what the word of God says about me. When the enemy comes and says you are not worthy, you say the blood of Jesus has made me worthy. When the enemy comes and says you are not worthy, you say the blood of Jesus has made me worthy. When the enemy comes to you and say but they left you, they abandoned you because you're no good, the word of God says he will never leave me, he will never forsake me. When the voices come and they tell you that you are not good enough, god says he loves me, he cares for me, I am his own.
Maggie Wynn:
Philippians 1:6 says I am convinced and confident of this very thing that he who began a good work in you will continue to perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus, the time of his return. Ephesians 1, verse 4 says and in love he chose us before he laid the foundation of the universe. Because of his great love he ordained us so that we would be seen as holy in his eyes, with an unstained innocence. So whatever people may have labeled you, those things that you've labeled yourself off. It's time to take them off. It's time to peel them away and say I'm coming out in the name of Jesus. I am coming out of this because God predestined me name of Jesus. I am coming out of this because God predestined me. Predestined means an outcome of course of events determined in advance by divine will or fate are predestined, in that we are children of God, that we are adopted into the kingdom, and when you become a kingdom child, you don't think that way. It is hard to undo those things because it didn't happen overnight, but that's why it is constant of reminder.
Maggie Wynn:
What are some of the tools that I can give you Worship? When the enemy comes at you and says, all these voices that you're hearing from the left and from the right, from the innermost part of you, what can you do? Breathe, take deep breaths. I have breath, I have breath, and as long as I have breath in me, there is hope. There is hope for change.
Maggie Wynn:
Work out, go to the gym, get some sunlight, because you've mistreated your body, because you have not allowed your body to heal properly, and so you have binged on whatever and you've been unhealthy, and so it's time to be aware of what you're putting into your body, because we are the temple of the Holy Spirit and what is it that's dwelling in here? Look at all of the things that the enemy has done to you, whether he's tried to sabotage your dreams, robbed you of your peace, your sanity taken away from you, your pureness, robbed you of the dreams that you had that you've wanted to accomplish. All of those things, think on the goodness of God. Why? Because God loves you and he wants you healed. He made a way for you to be healed. This takes time and it takes hard work. Our prayers are with you and they are full of faith that God will accomplish what he has begun in each of us during this class. Matthew 11, 28,. 11 says I'm sorry. 11, 28 through 30 says Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
Maggie Wynn:
The scripture may not line up with our sometimes performance-based because you know, sometimes we're really good at performing. We have a mask on that we need to take off and that sometimes becomes a safety net and prevents us from allowing grace to come in, you know, to work its perfect work in us. We think we must work out our own healing. It's like the person that I remember going to Mexico one day and they were walking down this street and I asked what's going on Passion of the Christ? Pretty much they were acting it out and you know, my sister said you know, that's a good thing that we don't have to believe that way, that we don't have to feel that we have to punish ourselves for what Jesus did on the cross. And I think that a lot of times, a lot of us, we do that. We punish ourselves because we feel we're not good enough and we have to feel that pain Because we feel we're not good enough and we have to feel that pain.
Maggie Wynn:
The triggers that trigger your pain is whatever it leads you to do, maybe a piercing or tattoos, because you enjoy the pain. You have to feel some kind of pain, to feel release. You know and I could go on about the extents of what we do to feel pain, because we feel we deserve pain. To feel pain, because we feel we deserve pain, do something to afflict ourselves, not knowing the truth that Jesus paid it on the cross, died on the cross for us. So we don't have to do that. And I think we all do it unconsciously at times, because we're so used to the pain and our pain, from when you're a child, you grow up and you do certain behaviors that these behaviors eventually lead to habits, the way you think the core of what your belief systems become. Not that they were, because the core of what we are supposed to believe is the word of God, but we have adopted those kind of beliefs that now we believe that we are no good and we live in a depressed state and anxiety, in a helpless state, and it does take someone to bring us out. So when our past is done, we have to do what scripture says to do. He says, come, come.
Maggie Wynn:
That is the hard part for some of us to do who think we have to do it ourselves or else we have somehow failed again and we fall back into that same pattern and we give up. And we fall back into that same pattern and we give up and we say what's the point? What's the point of trying to live this holy life. What's the point of trying to live a righteous life when I keep falling, I keep failing, I keep going back to that old habits, like a dog that returns to its vomit and you're eating it again? That was a pretty harsh picture, but you have to think about those things. What are the things that you're doing that are causing you to go back to eat what you have thrown up and you feel like you can never get ahead, you're not getting healed. Maybe it's time to stop going back to those things and start going to a different place, and what I mean by that is the place of intimacy with God.
Maggie Wynn:
That says God, who am I?
Maggie Wynn:
I lay before you my life, my heart. Who am I? Who they have told me, dictated to me years of who I am. I want you to tell me who am I and to save me from myself, because I think that sometimes we forgive other people. We can forgive others, but we have the hardest time forgiving ourselves and believing that we don't deserve mercy. When we do deserve mercy, we deserve grace. Isaiah 58 says. Then your light will break forth like the dawn and your healing will quickly appear. Then your righteousness will go before you and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. That's beautiful when you think about what scripture says. He has all of the things that you need, all of the medicine that you need so that you can be healed internally, physically, because everything that you've held in here has manifested in the natural, has manifested in your way of thinking and has created these patterns. So now you have to go before God and really do a deep work. So now you have to go before God and really do a deep work. You were created to thrive. You were created to succeed.
Maggie Wynn:
When God made the birds of the air, he would not be God if those birds could not fly right. When God made fish, he designed them to be in the water. Fish don't come out of the water because they know better. When God made us, he gave us a manual of the do's and the don'ts. We are the only creatures in the world that go outside of his will to see if that's true. A fish is never going to go outside the water to figure out if he's a fish. If I'm a child of God, I'm not going to go outside of his will, but sometimes we do so that's why I'm here to tell you.
Maggie Wynn:
It's time to get back to the original design that God created you. His word says that he foresaw you, he knew you, he prepared it so that you can succeed. His word says do this and you will succeed, you will prosper, you will excel. His name is on it. Well, the word of God is that he's our manufacturer. He guarantees you to succeed. So you cannot fail. So it's time to raise up, lift your chin up and say God, I cannot fail. I'm coming to you because you are my God. No other God died for me, no other God prepared a way for me, and his name is on it. He says for my name's sake. What does that mean? That means you're guaranteed to win. You're guaranteed to win. If you don't win, his name is at stake.
Maggie Wynn:
I told God one day. I said, god, I need you to heal me. I need you to do a deep work in me, and I don't know how long it's going to take, but I need to be healed so that I can testify of your power and mercy and grace. Why? Because what else am I going to give to the world if I don't get healed? So that healing has to come from within you, that cry of your heart, that word that is planted. You have to plant the word of God in you. So if you plant the word of God in you, you will grow.
Maggie Wynn:
God's word affects our willingness to be willing. When we apply it to our pain, we can become convinced that God's word is not only absolute, it is the only real answer to our pain. The word teaches, according to psalms 25, 4, 5, 5 says show me your ways, o Lord, teach me your paths, guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God, my savior and my hope is in you all day long. The third I'm sorry. The second.
Maggie Wynn:
The word of God changes for the. The word is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. It judges your thoughts. It judges your attitude. It tells you hey, you're not doing that right, you're doing that with wrong intentions.
Maggie Wynn:
The word of God corrects In Psalms 25, eight through nine. It says God and upright is the Lord. Good and upright is the Lord. Therefore, he instructs sinners in his ways. He guides the humble in what is right. When you're humble, when you say God, I messed up like I'm blowing it again. I'm not doing what you want me to do. I'm doing the opposite of what I'm supposed to be doing. I'm not doing it your way. Help me. And when you do that, that's humility. You're humbling yourself before God. He'll correct you.
Maggie Wynn:
The word of God instructs in righteousness. Hebrews 5, 13, 14 says anyone who lives on milk bring still an infant is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature which by constant use have trained to distinguish good from evil. The word of God makes you adequate. First, peter 22, 23 says now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth, so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply from the heart, for you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
Maggie Wynn:
The word of God, what does it do? It equips For 2 Timothy 3, 16 through 17 says all scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God or woman of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. So he gives you the tools to equip you to succeed. It is up to you to make that choice. I pray that you will make that choice today to say God, how can I be different? First of all, who am I? I got to identify who I am. I'm a child of God. I am redeemed by the blood of the lamb. I am made whole in you. I am adopted into the family, into the kingdom of heaven.
