Seven Steps to Sexual Peace: Step 6

We joyously reach out to others.

“It wasn’t my fault, but I now take responsibility. I take responsibility, with joy. Seeing myself and others clearly, allows me to truly love and serve others. I embrace my mission to love with abandon. I love particular people and places.”

Now that we have discovered our unique vocation to love, we embrace it recklessly! Be not afraid! We do not let our hearts be troubled by the fact that we cannot reach everyone and change the entire world.  We can make ourselves crazy worrying about the whole world!

Rather, reach out to the particular people, places and situations that you have identified in Step 5. These are the people, places and situations that are important to you. 

The Sexual Revolution really is a war. We cannot deny that. But we must understand that it is principally a spiritual war. We therefore pick up and embrace the weapons of spiritual warfare: the weapons of love and truth and persistence. 

The result of winning the Sexual Revolution will not simply show up in changed public policies: it will show up in peace. We wish to achieve Sexual Peace for ourselves and others. We cannot do this without acknowledging that there is a war going on in the first place. 

You are finding peace through your willingness to face reality: to face the truth about what happened to you, about your part in it, and about your on-going need for support and conversion.

Here are some ways you can offer that peace to others. 

• Be prepared to reach people whom God unexpectedly places in your path. Be involved with activities and people whom you already love. Pour your heart into everything you do there. 
• Be competent in your work. 
• Be a good listener. Give the person an opportunity to speak. You may be the only person listening without an agenda, except an agenda to love. 
• Wait for an opportunity to speak. 
• Remember your boundaries! You are not there to change people or tell them they are wrong. You are there to be a permanent and attractive witness to the Truth. That is enough for one lifetime. 
• Remember to pray for the people who have hurt you. Love them from whatever distance is safe for you. Jesus will help you find a peace that will change your life, regardless of what the other person chooses to do or not do.  

Reaching out to others could include telling your Survivor Story on the Ruth Institute website. It could include creating or participating in regular programs sharing information about the Sexual Revolution and its Victims. The possibilities are endless.

Here are some specific activities: 

1. Review your work from Step 5: who or what is your personal mission to love? 
2. Allow yourself to imagine the good of this person, place, institution or hobby, as you pray. Ideas will come to you about what you can do to be helpful to them. 
3. When you spend time with this person, learn to be a good listener. You will learn how best to be helpful to them. And you will endear yourself to them. 
4. Participate in a Listening Christian workshop, on-line or in-person. This is a new program in development here at the Ruth Institute. Please let us know if you or your organization is interested in participating in our inaugural events.
5. Share your experiences with your friends.
6. You may wish to share your Survivor Story with others, as part of your service of love for them.  Please see our Guidelines for Sharing your Survival Story.  Remember: we do not tell our stories out of self-pity or complaining. We share our stories because we believe our experience can be helpful to others. You can decide how public you wish to be.
7. Have fun! 

Do you feel peace coming over you as you step out of yourself and reach out to others?