The Ultimate Betrayal part 1

UNDERSTANDING INCEST – PART 1

Written By: Deborah R.

By God’s design, the primary channel for learning one’s identity, for having needs met, for understanding who God is, and for developing relationships is the family system.  John Bettler, writing in the Institute of Biblical Counseling Perspective, states that “man as the image of God exists in two parts, male and female.”  Both male and female components, in the role of mother and father in a family system, directly affect our composite image of God, of self, and of interpersonal relationship.

In families where one or both parents represent distortions of God within that family system, relationships will be skewed and pain will result.  First Corinthians 12:26, “And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer,” illustrates how every part of the Body (or a family) suffers when one part suffers.  This is true both in families where incest is occurring or where abuse is occurring by a perpetrator outside the family, but the family is unaware of it.

Scripture speaks to incestuous family systems with the principle found in Galatians 5:9: “A little leaven leavens the whole lump.”  Families involved in incest have several common denominators, and each individual is impacted by the “leaven” in that system.  Once the family system is understood, intervention then becomes possible.  Restoration will only be complete as each individual takes responsibility before God and other family members to correct the dysfunctions.

Lynn Heitritter & Jeanette Vought, Helping Victims of Sexual Abuse – A sensitive, Biblical Guide for Counselors, Victims and Families (Bethany House Publishers, 1989), 61.

In PART II, we will take a look at some of the:  Characteristics of the Incestuous Family-

1. Shame
2. Abuse of power
3. Distorted communication
4. Social isolation
5. Denial
6. Lack of intimacy
7. Blurred boundaries
8. Dependency/emotional neediness
9. Lack of forgiveness