Been Wounded? Let God’s Love Heal You
I’ve felt that way recently and thought of the children’s book about a little boy’s “Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day”. My experience wasn’t as bad as THAT, but I could definitely identify with his feelings!
So how are you supposed to handle days when words wound?
When someone’s actions trigger painful reminders of past hurts?
When your joy and trust are unexpectedly destroyed?
Common Ways of Responding
There are many, depending on your temperament and how you’re wired when wounded or traumatized. Here are some you might identify with:
- Fight back with angry words (Fight)
- Burst into tears and run away (Take flight)
- Go silent, slam a door, refuse to respond (Freeze)
- Tell everyone who will empathize with you (Seek comfort from others)
All the above are perfectly normal! But as we mature as Christians, it’s important to sift through what we’re struggling with and to seek discernment and the quiet whispers of God. Ask yourself: Is there something God wants me to be reassured of, to learn, to change, to develop so I am more like Jesus?
Here are 5 steps that can help us process and grow stronger through the wounds that come in life:
- Take your wounds to God. Cry out as David did in Ps.25:1 “To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in You”. He knew God as His safe place.
- Remember what God has said about YOU throughout Scripture. Through Moses God reminds the Israelites, and all who are His, The Lord your God cares for you. The eyes of the Lord are continually on you.
- Rehearse in your mind and heart the fact that God calls you precious, even as you are still in the process of growing and being transformed into the likeness of Jesus. His compassion and acceptance of you (and me), warts and all, is like a rock that will never move.
- Seek God’s wisdom. When you’re feeling emotionally calm and spiritually reassured that God always wants what is best for you, consider praying these words from Psalm 139:23-24:
Try me and know my anxieties.
And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.
- Receive what the Spirit reveals. Is there something He wants to Prune? Jesus speaks plainly in John 15 that pruning of what hinders our full fruitfulness is part of the process of spiritual development. Hebrews 12 expands on this theme, saying “No chastening (pruning) seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”
Is there something He wants you to hold with greater confidence? Be careful to discern the source of hurts and wounds! We have an Enemy who seeks to destroy those who follow Jesus from the heart, and he uses others as his tools. Let all that happens send you into the arms of Jesus, who always says, “Come to Me… and I will give you rest.”
Perhaps you’re not dealing with these issues, but please share this with others who might be going through a tough time in their lives. Contact me if you’d like to talk or have prayer. https://www.poppysmith.com/contact
Love in Christ,
Poppy
Coaching Women to Grow in Christ