It should come as no surprise that emotional pain is an ever-present part of our human existence. The most recent lock-down pandemic has highlighted this truth. It also reveals the potential for unexpected pain in areas we might have previously considered ‘healthy’…like our marriage. In our last post we talked about the wrong things to do when you experience pain.
The wrong way is to attempt to heal yourself. The pride required for this path is evidence enough that it is a wrong course of action. We can’t heal ourselves any more than we can save ourselves from the coming judgement by our own good works. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
So, instead of turning to someone else, something else, our ourselves to heal our wounded hearts what should we do? We turn to the source of life, love, healing, and restoration. We run to the open arms of our Savior and King. Didn’t see that coming, did you? The typical church answer, but it doesn’t make it wrong.
The Bible is full of invitations from God to do this very thing. “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
Again, we read in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
So, when we’re burdened, when we need rest, when we need comfort for our hurting hearts, what does it look like to turn to God – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – for healing in the midst of our pain?
1. Humbly admit you can’t heal yourself:
Repentance is the starting line of real life-change. When we finally get off the merry-go-round of self-healing and admit we can’t do this on our own, God is ready. Remarkably, He doesn’t issue a well-deserved “I told you so.” Instead, He greets us with love and grace every single time. (Psalm 145:8-9)
2. Repent for the things you tried to heal yourself with…. Read the rest of this article at Christian Family Life.
