You can be in prison on the outside while free on the inside if Jesus is in there wherever you are.

  So we’ve heard about physical abuse, sexual abuse, substance abuse, addictions, mental abuse, character assassinations, human trafficking - and that one in particular covers them all doesn’t it..., but how about financial abuse? How about being violated financially, there's a word for that, and I’m sure financial abuse can‘t be compared to some other forms of abuse, but there can be so much trauma associated with financial abuse, and it seems to be “legal” in so many of it‘s abusive forms..., it can be very insidious. I can see how these fit..., "For the love of money is the root of all evil." And "you cannot serve both God and mammon (money)" Of course money isn't evil, it isn't really anything at all. And money can be a great servant but a horrible tyrannical master. And it takes many captive because so many are defenseless when they refuse to let Jesus in, so they're subject to their "out of controlness" and their fears, and their abandonment regardless of how many people they hurt. And financial abusers are always driven by their fears, as are those who are subject to financial abuse, because both sides don't let Love in to cast those fears out. And no matter how much money they gain, that's why it's never enough, because both greed and fear are insatiable. So the one's that do the abuse financially can't free themselves because they've given themselves over to the money, to be it's slave, and everyone they do "business" with, they try to bring them into that same place. People who worship the same god money. And then the natural product of that is that people become optional or just objects. I know this is a foreign concept to so many, but it's true. People are treated like cattle. But again, money isn't evil, it's just that the fear of not having enough causes people to do some pretty desperate things. I’m not sure many people know what happens when they bow the knee to money and end up worshipping it, how they become what or who they worship instead of God...,? How they become non-relational beings unable to feel or relate. But when we worship God then He saves us from who we were, however twisted and sets us on solid ground instead of the sand that we were trying to build on before, when we were using people and being used by people. So He turns all that around and turns us back into relational beings able to feel and touch and relate with God and others. Then the money dorsn’t Enslave but becomes a resource for good rather than the people just being resources for the getting of more and more money for money’s sake. See the difference?

Many people play this game so well, and there are a thousand ways that people do the most despicable things with money. So to be violated by someone using money against you, we’ve all been there, disillusioned, or promises that were made weren‘t kept, and betrayal can be a reality and we don’t often see when someone is taking advantage, but many times the one(s) taking advantage know exactly what they’re doing and where things are headed, especially if they’ve been used to having money for awhile. All in the name of “smart business”, but at what cost??? Money should never be more important than people, but those who traffic in it in abusive ways know what it does and they know what they’ve done to people’s lives personally by abusing it’s influence on the unsuspecting or downtrodden. So trauma and all that goes along with abuse, can come by way of money or financial abuse. Then the abused can even then seek out “abusive“ financial relationships or dependencies just like can be twisted in other forms of abuse like sexual or physical or substance or mental abuse. So financial abusers, and serial financial abusers, also people can prostitute themselves in other forms for money as well. So you could add all of that to the list of addictions and addictive behaviors. And Remember, Jesus can and will deliver you from every addiction whether it’s an addiction to abuse or be abused, even the addiction of money and the compulsion to take advantage of others or be used by it. Also keeping in mind that he who rolls a stone on another, a stone will roll back on them. And you that enslave others (NEWS FLASH) You Are Already Twice The Slave by any means that you have enslaved anyone that you’ve ever enslaved or taken advantage of. In Fact, what you’ve been doing to others is just a symptom of your internal state, and you’ve just been doing what you thought you had to do to be “in control”, but you’re out of control and you don’t have the control you thought you had, and you didn’t have the upper hand you thought you had at all, but the under hand and underhanded. For The Only One with Any Real Control in the Universe is Jesus, so ask Him in to help you, and He will set you free on the inside and then you will be an Agent of Freedom for Jesus, instead of an Agent of bondage and slavery for the other side that has been tormenting you these years and treating you badly. Let’s talk about internal growth..., Hardship and even extreme hardship brings with it huge growth opportunities..., whereas lives of ease, Especially if by way money if by taking advantage of others, have little or no internal growth potential though outward growth or financial growth may skyrocket. Internal “growth” of the one’s doing the damage are actually diminishing inside and their hearts shriveling even more than they were before. It’s almost like a hidden Law of the Universe that not many are paying attention to. So it is with all those so called at the top who take advantage of others and trick them for their own gain. While those at the bottom, or between the rock and the hard place, most while they don’t even comprehend or know what a Huge opportunity for growth they are between..., and also a very very Secret and virtually untapped growth opportunity that is to Love our enemies and do good to those who use us for their own selfish purposes. And we must be careful not to judge them because we leave that up to God, for Only He can change hearts so we pray for them and Love them but only with God’s Love is this possible..., that’s the rub..., in order to have God’s Love working on them and from the inside of us, He basically requires we give up our rights of retribution and judging all together and just let forgiveness flow from Love as it is a natural byproduct of Love and Love Actually runs ahead and forgives ahead whether or not any offense is ever committed at all or even repeated. God always keeps His part of the bargain so don’t be concerned with how or when He chooses to do that, just rest in Him, in His Love and care for you regardless of what you see going on around you or to you at the moment. I’m not saying stay in a bad situation if you can get out..., but just know that God might be doing a bigger thing than you had imagined so press into Him, Lean into Him, and you’ll learn some things you couldn’t see before because He’s now giving you access to and opening your eyes to His perspective and His Power and Love.And so if you can Love, or more importantly if Love can use you as a conduit even in the worst of circumstances, then you’re on the road Paul took, and his contribution to our walk with Jesus was and is just so so huge, because Love was operating through Paul in such deep ways and such deep currents that it is basically unparalleled since then, and all because Jesus apprehended Paul in such a deep way and Paul went along with that. And now look what we have in the New Testament because of Jesus in Paul. So don’t waste the Hardship Growth Opportunity. And try and see that those around you acting selfishly aren’t growing on the inside but are diminishing and that kind of diminishing is really bad, because if they continue, it won’t end well for them and they’re losing more and more of their real selves and real potential. Wheras if you will let Jesus work in you, you will find yourself more into Him and Him more into you, and you'll be more like Paul, because Jesus is doing the work in you rather than you anymore. Plus, ALL THE MONEY AND ALL THE POWER AND ALL THE AUTHORITY in the world of the world cannot defeat a man or a woman on their knees before The Maker of ALL Things, Jesus. For Greater (far greater and it isn’t even a contest) is He that is in you if you are one of His, than he that is in the world and all their forces and influence and money put together are no match for just one that let’s Jesus take them all the way with Him. The only question now is how long will it take, and in what form, and whether or not Jesus will deliver us on this side of eternity or choose to do it on the other side. But that’s up to Him isn’t it? But in the meantime, let Jesus rule and reign in your mortal bodies and you will Be Truly Free on the inside and no created force will be able to take away that inner freedom that Only Jesus can bring, and is not dependent on circumstances or people or anything else, not even you.