You Are Not Crazy

“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18, NIV)

“For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.” (1 Corinthians 14:33, ESV)

It’s not uncommon to feel crazy after experiencing spiritual abuse and trauma. It’s confusing when something that was supposed to be sacred wounds you instead. Maybe it happened in a church, with a pastor, inside a marriage, or within a faith community you trusted. And in the aftermath, you may have found yourself wondering—Am I too sensitive? Did I misunderstand? Is something wrong with me? The confusion can feel like an endless cycle.

When seeking clarity about your experience, it’s helpful to have language for it. The experience of spiritual trauma is the lasting impact of a harmful event or environment that is spiritual or religious in nature. It overwhelms your capacity to cope, and it leaves your mind, body, and soul unable to connect with God and with others in a faith community like you once did. Often, spiritual trauma impacts your spiritual identity and worldview, and everything related to your faith can become overwhelming, filled with anxiety, or empty.

Spiritual trauma does not require malicious intent to cause deep harm. Sometimes it’s more obvious or overt—a leader who misused their authority and power, theology weaponized to control you, a community that silenced or shamed you after you stood up for what was right. Other times it’s more subtle—a church that dismissed your pain, a spiritual environment built on fear, years of pressure to perform or conform. Whatever the source—the wound is real.

Let these words wash over you—you are not crazy, you are not too sensitive, and you are not spiritually weak if you can’t connect to your faith right now. The difficulty connecting to God and your faith is common and normal. The inability to go to church, read Scripture, or feel God’s presence is your body’s way of protecting you—safeguarding you from ever experiencing that kind of harm again. Faith becomes the source of pain because the trauma has merged with your faith. And even though God feels confusing and distant, he is near your crushed spirit and wants you to experience peace and clarity about what you’ve lived.

You don’t have to have all the language for it today. You don’t have to trace every thread and memory to finally make sense of your experience. Maybe beyond this devotional, it might mean finding a trusted friend, mentor, or therapist to make sense of your experience and heal. Just know that what happened to you is real, you are not alone, and it’s possible to heal.

Moment to Reflect

• What areas of your experience do you need to counter the confusion with validating what you endured and how it’s impacted you?
• Have you ever felt like something was wrong with you for feeling the way you do about faith or God? What would it mean to consider that your responses might actually make sense?

Simple Prayer

God, I’m not sure how to talk to you right now, and I’m not sure if you are for me. But I’m here. I’m bringing what I actually feel, not what I think I should feel. If you are close to the brokenhearted, then be close to me today and make yourself known. Amen.