Globally, 1 woman in 3 is beaten, coerced into sex, or abused in some other way, most often by a man she knows—her husband, domestic partner, or another male family member.

• Astonishingly, 1 woman in 4 is abused during her pregnancy.
• Worldwide, 275 million children witness domestic violence—the vast majority perpetrated against their mothers.

These stunning statistics bring to mind the week I was speaking at a large missionary conference in South America. With hearts deeply grieved, a group of dedicated missionaries told me about local pastors who routinely instruct the men to “beat your wives into submission.”

Tragically, this is not an isolated incident. In many countries around the world, husbands and wives are taught—in church—that the wife’s acquiescence to physical, verbal, and emotional abuse is “God’s plan,” and they use Ephesians 5:22 to support their wicked thinking: “Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands . . . .”

Source: hopefortheheart.org