Those that oppose themselves

2 Timothy 2:24, And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves.

His words here are interesting, “Those that oppose themselves.” Do we sometimes oppose ourselves? Do we sometimes engage in self destructive behavior? Why would we do that? Because we feel we are bad?  We’ve been told that we are, by parents, by churches, by the scriptures?  Sometimes it isn’t so much that someone told us that we were bad, but we know that we are, and we feel helpless to change. How cunning Satan is to build such a blind trap for us and turn us away from Christ who has already atoned for our sins.

The price has already been paid but because we don't understand we refuse to except the gift. 

A symptom of my mothers abuse was that she would say, it's too late for me. She would let me go to church but she wouldn't go because "it was too late for her." Not so. I think she knows that now and rest in the arms of the Savior, but think of the life that was wasted because she couldn't accept Christ, couldn't forgive her abusers or herself. Why should she need to forgive herself for what someone else did to her? That is the nature of abuse. That is the hook that entraps us into repeating what was done to us. This is why the story needs to be told. This is why abuse needs to be exposed.