Sins Against Self, Part 2

“Jesus of the Stripped Loyalty with Green Tunic” (10th Station of the Cross), Source/Author Aendomekio3 (CC BY-SA 4.0 International)

We continue our examination of sins against the self to which abuse victims are prone [1].

Self-Pity/Self-Hatred/Self-Harm

We hate ourselves not only for the sins against us, but for the sins we have committed, and the mistakes we have made – sometimes wallowing in self-pity, sometimes consumed with self-contempt [2][3].  This manifests as a harshly self-critical inner dialog or continuous stream of negative thoughts.  We may even contemplate self-harm [4].

Self-Reliance

In fleeing from a God we hold responsible for our abuse or believe abandoned us, we may choose extreme self-reliance [5].  This is a brittle defense which fails to take into account the fact that all we are, and all we have, is from God.  Endurance, itself, is a form of His grace.

Suffering as a Gift

Whether we realize it or not, we are engaged in a lifelong spiritual battle.  Not because we were once victimized, but because Satan wants all of us (abuse victims or not) to feel victimized for the rest of our lives.  He wants us focused inward on ourselves and our wounds, rather than outward toward God and others.

That is not, however, God’s plan for us.  Which is why He sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for us – for our sins, the whole long list.  And to offer us instead an abundant life.

That is not a life guaranteed to be free from suffering.  To the contrary, suffering can be a means of growing closer to God.  Father Stuart Long, a disabled priest and former boxer, considered it a gift [6][7][8]:

“Every brawl I had was beating back at a world I thought had done me wrong.  Yeah, every bruise on my face and every drop of blood I shed was proof of my war against God’s injustice. 

I look worse now than I did then, that’s for sure.  Difference is now I know my suffering’s a gift from God.  Now, I know it sounds like bull.  But it’s coming from a man in a wheelchair, so you got to entertain it.  Hear me out. 

All our outer nature’s wasting away.  But or inner is being renewed everyday.  This life, no matter how long it lasts, is a momentary affliction, preparing us for eternal glory.  We shouldn’t pray for an easy life, but for the strength to endure a difficult one.  Because the experience of suffering is the fullest expression of God’s love.  It is a chance to be closer to Christ.”

–Father Stuart Long, as portrayed in the Sony Pictures biopic “Father Stu” [13]

The Apostle Paul put it this way:

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2: 20).

—

[1]  Wisdom Library, “The concept of sin against oneself in Christianity”, 2/26/25, https://www.wisdomlib.org/christianity/concept/sin-against-oneself.

[2]  WebMD, “What Is Self-Loathing?” by Juliann Selemin (medically reviewed by Dr. Smitha Bhandari), 6/23/24, https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/what-is-self-loathing.

[3]  Christianity, “Is It a Sin to Hate Myself?  What Does the Bible Say?”, https://www.christianity.com/wiki/sin/is-it-a-sin-to-hate-myself-what-does-the-bible-say.html.

[4]  Open Bible, “Self Harm”, https://www.openbible.info/topics/self_harm.

[5]  Southside Baptist Church, “Spiritual Warfare and Sin:  Self-sins —  by AW Tozer”, 11/15/14, https://www.southside-cochran.org/blog/spiritual-warfare-and-sin-self-sins-by-aw-tozer.

[6]  Wikipedia, “Stuart Long”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuart_Long. 

[7]  Franciscan Magazine, “Father Stu” by Rick Becker, Summer 2022, https://magazine.franciscan.edu/articles/father-stu/.

[8]  YouTube, “Father Stu:  Montana Priest and Knight of Columbus”, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZLIH-MwO2s.

[9]  YouTube, “Father Stu – Official Trailer”, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHREzAdyCPs.

Part 1 in this series was posted last week.

A jury verdict in the amount of $3 million was this week handed down in Los Angeles against Meta and Google (YouTube) for failure to warn viewers of the dangers of their platforms.  At issue was the use of addictive algorithms.

A jury verdict in the amount of $375 million was handed down in Santa Fe against Meta for failure to protect children against online predators.

Across the country, Attorneys General have brought similar suits against Meta, TikTok, and other Tech Giants.

See, https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/25/meta-youtube-los-angeles-california-verdict.html#:~:text=A%20jury%20in%20Los%20Angeles%20determined%20on%20Wednesday,could%20have%20repercussions%20across%20the%20social%20media%20landscape.?msockid=05447c7cad7268a1051a6aa6ac5f6947. 

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