Christy Johnson's Blog

Confrontation is scary especially when fear has intimidated you and you’ve coped by shutting down, smiling and being cooperative even when you were mistreated or lied to.

Jamie hated confrontation. As long as she could remember, she was always afraid to stand up for herself because she felt like she was going to be ridiculed or criticized.

For her it seemed easier to keep her mouth shut, especially in romantic relationships.

Even though Jamie and her ...

Recently I received the following question on another blog post I wrote titled When Submission is Twisted. Because my answer got a bit long winded, I decided to write a new post on this subject. If you find it relevant, I’d love to hear your comments.

Question:
I was once under church leaders that were abusive to me. How do I know if I did the right thing by confronting? Or if God put me there to learn submission?

They would never support me in my...

Can you imagine a house without windows? Sunshine would never have a chance to dance through your curtains in the morning and kiss you hello. Gentle breezes would never be able to deliver fresh air. And without a way to look outside, how would you ever know if someone was trying to get in? 

Every house needs a way to look outside. Windows give us access to what is going on around us. Windows allow us to see beyond our perimeter. If we’re under attack or blindsided by circumstances ...

Growing up as an energetic chatty young girl, I must have driven my dad crazy. I pestered him with a million questions. With lots and lots of stories. If I heard it once, I heard it a thousand times. After taking a long puff of his Swisher Sweet cigar, a cloud of smoke and frustration would billow out together. “Chrissie, hurry up! Get to the point. You talk too much.”

My father didn’t mean to discourage me, but the enemy of my soul did. He wanted to destroy my confidence.

I can...

When it comes to past destructive relationships, have you ever criticized yourself and thought, “I should have known better”? “Why didn’t I see that coming? Or “Why did I put up with his control, manipulation, addiction, abuse, adultery, or _______ (you fill in the blank)?”

Sometimes, our tolerance for abuse or evil behavior is the result of misinterpreted scripture. When we don’t know and understand what God‘s Word says about confrontation and conflict resolution, we make ourselve...

Have you ever been seduced by a manipulator? Tricked and deceived by flattery and charm only to later discover that the relationship was built on lies? It’s devastating when all of a sudden affirmation and attention turn into criticism, angry outbursts or silent treatment and other mind games.

When deceit, malicious behavior and abuse occur, reconciling your emotions with your new awareness of reality is difficult and painful.

What does God’s Word say about all this? What does t...

“I was never allowed to have boundaries as a kid,” said Jen, “so as an adult, I didn’t recognize someone was violating them.

“Once when I was about five, my parents had a friend over to the house. They wanted me to sit in his lap, but I didn’t want to. For some reason, he seemed creepy. I got a huge scolding and was taught that my behavior was rude. That day I learned that I had no authority over my body. It was wrong to protest an invasion of my personal space. Good girls didn’t say no. T...

My head throbbed as I pounded the alarm clock to stop its assault. Too many drinks the night before, and it was only Wednesday. Flashbacks of the previous evening floated across my mind. Vodka gimlets in the hotel lobby. Three… or was it four? Dancing. Then he walked me to my room.

I crawled out of bed and squeezed drops of Visine into my bloodshot eyes. As I swallowed three Advil, I caught a reflection of myself in the mirror. Instead of a look of disgust, an odd response washed over me—...

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). 

Have you ever heard a success story and thought, “Why can’t that happen to me?”

Most of us crave success, but often, by the time a story is newsworthy, the hype makes it seem like it happened overnight.

Hardly! Most success stories focus on the fulfillment of a dream, not the blood, sweat and tears behind the scene.

I love what  Bill Wilson with Metro Ministries, the largest sidewalk Sunday scho...

In my ministry work with singles, Ive heard numerous stories from women who are having an emotional affair. Some women fantasize about a man who doesnt even know their name, while others imagine a life of romantic bliss with a coworker they barely know. Women with relationship addiction tendencies take mind affairs to an obsessive level. Their imagination is consumed with thoughts and dreams not surrendered to the Lord. They mentally plan their wedding, where they will live, and how many...