Oxygen for the Abused

So you know someone who has left an abusive situation. What can you do? Here are a few simple guidelines that can help. For starters, there are three things that are like oxygen for the abused, and these should be given liberally and without any expectations.

1. Patience - They will struggle with strong emotions that will seem contradictory to you. They aren't always going to make the right decisions. They usually have been managed and controlled for so long that they don't yet know how to use the freedom that they have gained in the absence of the abuser. 
2. Respect - They are their own person, and that truth has been violated by their abuser until they are at a point where they need to discover and explore truth without the manipulations of an agenda other than their own and God's. Don't confuse your agenda with God's; He will work on them in their own time. Remember this: a nice and controlling person who wants to rescue you is only a little better than the mean controlling person. Both actually undermine the victim. They don't need a voice to speak for them, they need to be shown how to use their own. 
3.  Love - Abuse is the opposite of love, and those who have lived in oppression have been starved for love. Don't just love them, go well beyond that. Demonstrate the love of Jesus to them, live it with them. Show kindness and understanding, and leave the accusations for Satan. He is the accuser of the brethren. 

What about the abuser? Shouldn't they be free from our judgement and accusation?