“I overheard the pastor telling Bob that you had a rebellious spirit and we aren’t supposed to contact you. He thinks you’ll soon be a drunk or on drugs.”
“Liz said that if you had been under submission to your husband, you never would have cut your hair and that’s why your son broke his leg.”
“Doug said that the reason you left is because you were never really one of us and were faking it all along.”
“One of the women at church caught you wearing make-up and now you’re being called Jezebel.”
You’ve left an unhealthy or abusive church and start hearing what current members, and maybe even the pastor, are saying. You are hurt, heartbroken – maybe angry. Though you recall seeing this happen to others who left, and expected it to occur, it hits hard.
Unfortunately, being human we sometimes have this desire to want to know what others are saying about us. Curiosity gets the best of us. But remember the old saying that ‘curiosity killed the cat’ because listening to this kind of talk can temporarily kill your spirits. There is more than enough to deal with in sorting through all the emotions and issues involved in leaving, than to add unnecessary turmoil to it all.
The best way to handle this is to stop the talk before it hits your ears. If someone from the former church starts sharing what anyone else there is saying about you, stop them in their tracks and tell them you do not wish to hear it. Some church members have nothing better to do than to talk about those who left, make up stories and believe things without ever stopping to determine their veracity. Through it all, most don’t call, write or visit.
These were people you bonded with and loved and you don’t need to hear the latest gossip about yourself or why you left and what you are supposedly doing now. If listened to, you will most likely be hurt and don’t need to get angry enough that you say or do things which will later be regretted and that will be used against you to ‘prove’ you are backslid, rebellious, reprobate, etc.
Remember, you decided to move on and are no longer a member. Don’t get pulled into the nonsense and run around trying to put out all the fires. You know your character, why you left and how you are living. All the talk in the world won’t change that truth and you will never convince otherwise those who are determined to believe a lie.
If you allow people to report these negative things, fighting your thoughts will prove more troublesome. You will need to guard your own spirit more carefully and will have additional ups and downs due to thinking about all the gossip and how wrong and unfair it is. Save yourself some heartache and turmoil by not listening. Don’t allow your curiosity to get the best of you.
Leaving An Unhealthy Church #1: You and Those Who Remain
Leaving An Unhealthy Church #2: Anything You Say Can, And Will, Be Used Against You
Leaving An Unhealthy Church #3: Why It May Be Important To Resign Your Membership
Leaving An Unhealthy Church #4: Remaining in the Same Organization
Leaving An Unhealthy Church #5: Don’t Listen To The Gossip
Leaving an Unhealthy Church #6: How You Are Treated
Leaving an Unhealthy Church #7: It Happens To Ministers, Too
Leaving an Unhealthy Church #8: The Way Of The Transgressor Is Hard!
Leaving an Unhealthy Church #9: Some Must Return To Remember Why They Left
Leaving An Unhealthy Church #10: Sorting Through The Teachings
Leaving an Unhealthy Church #11: Confusion & Not Knowing Who or What to Believe
Leaving An Unhealthy Church #12: Can I Go To A Church Where I Don’t Agree With Everything?
Leaving An Unhealthy Church #13: A Warped View of God
Leaving An Unhealthy Church #14: Looking For A New Church Part 1
Leaving An Unhealthy Church #15: Looking For A New Church Part 2 (Leaving Your Comfort Zone)
Leaving An Unhealthy Church #16: Looking For A New Church Part 3 (Triggers)
Leaving An Unhealthy Church #17: Looking For A New Church Part 4 (Manifestations/Demonstrations)
Leaving An Unhealthy Church #18: Looking For A New Church Part 5 (Church Attendance: A Matter of Life or Death?)
