Perhaps you've been devastated by a recent loss or you suffer from abuse in the past. Maybe your heart is hurting and you just don't know why. Most likely you're simply "roughed up" by the hard bumps of life!
You might be wondering, "Will I ever mend? Can I ever get over the things that have bruised and broken my heart?"
The answer is yes! Our grace-giving God provides five powerful ways for our hearts to become free of emotional pain. They really work, but we have to be willing to work them!
1) Give God your tears. A sudden eruption of tears over remembered pain, can feel like a reproach: "I'm not over this yet!" We may think that tears are part of the problem. In truth they are a God-graced part of the solution.
Think of tears as "liquid prayers" and you will see them in their true light. From infancy we hated to cry and not be heard. We all need someone to care--or we can't release the burden we are carrying.
The beautiful thing is that our God says He is just that One who cares! Give your tears to Him--He is listening!
2) Forgive everyone who hurt you. This doesn't come easily. No one ever said it was easy--only that it is possible. And desirable. And necessary!.
We may dig in our heels with heated arguments, seeking to excuse ourselves from doing it, but the pain will never go away until we forgive. Forgiving is giving the pain to God and trusting Him with it.
I once helped a man forgive three men who had nearly hacked him to death with machetes. For ten years he lived to find them and kill them. The thought of going to jail didn't scare him--his prison was already there on the inside. Happily, he released them from his bitter judgments and became a free man himself.
3) Seek the prayers of others. Bringing our wounds to the light of Christ may feel uncomfortable, but it is worth the risk. Things hidden in the dark are the enemy's powerbase! This divine remedy means finding a trustworthy friend but it also means going to them with the right purpose in mind.
It is so important to do things God's way: He wants us to confess our own sin--not just the other person's--then seek prayer "that we may be healed." It does me little lasting good to tell someone about the wrong done to me, unless I am willing to let them help me forgive the injury! A good friend will help us bring our heart to God the right way.
A friend can also pray for us in ways we simply cannot. Their prayers fly out of their hearts to heaven on our behalf; whereas our own broken heart often holds our faith hostage to self pity or despair.
4) Trust your life to God's promises. Few things have worked in my life better than this one, but I had to fight hard to gain the ability. When we have been clobbered by life, it is easy to fall prey to blaming or distrusting God for not saving us from having to go through such pain.
In order to bridge the gap, God gives us promises of restoration: "I am with you. I love you. I am going to make this work for your good." That last one I affectionately call the "magnificent promise" for I had to hang my whole tormented life upon it for the longest time in order to hope that a better day was coming. And it did!
5) Position for divine interventions. God being God, it should come as no surprise that there is nothing we can do to force His Hand. Nevertheless, He invites us to seek Him where He can be found and to seek Him first that all other good things may be added in.
I have known people who were healed by words of scripture that seemed to "come to life" just for them. Others had their hearts mended through a God-breathed dream. Still others have been set free by supernatural visitations from the Lord Himself.
These friends were all simply "going on with their lives" but they were living fully for God as they went along. Then grace happened. You know where He can be found. Drag yourself there if you have to--until duty becomes a delight. Grace wants to drop in on you too!
Are there more ways? I have been helping people (including myself) find healing through these proven means for over 30 years. I know of no other ways. My advice? Don't give up on these God-graced ways. They really work--if you work them!
You might be wondering, "Will I ever mend? Can I ever get over the things that have bruised and broken my heart?"
The answer is yes! Our grace-giving God provides five powerful ways for our hearts to become free of emotional pain. They really work, but we have to be willing to work them!
1) Give God your tears. A sudden eruption of tears over remembered pain, can feel like a reproach: "I'm not over this yet!" We may think that tears are part of the problem. In truth they are a God-graced part of the solution.
Think of tears as "liquid prayers" and you will see them in their true light. From infancy we hated to cry and not be heard. We all need someone to care--or we can't release the burden we are carrying.
The beautiful thing is that our God says He is just that One who cares! Give your tears to Him--He is listening!
2) Forgive everyone who hurt you. This doesn't come easily. No one ever said it was easy--only that it is possible. And desirable. And necessary!.
We may dig in our heels with heated arguments, seeking to excuse ourselves from doing it, but the pain will never go away until we forgive. Forgiving is giving the pain to God and trusting Him with it.
I once helped a man forgive three men who had nearly hacked him to death with machetes. For ten years he lived to find them and kill them. The thought of going to jail didn't scare him--his prison was already there on the inside. Happily, he released them from his bitter judgments and became a free man himself.
3) Seek the prayers of others. Bringing our wounds to the light of Christ may feel uncomfortable, but it is worth the risk. Things hidden in the dark are the enemy's powerbase! This divine remedy means finding a trustworthy friend but it also means going to them with the right purpose in mind.
It is so important to do things God's way: He wants us to confess our own sin--not just the other person's--then seek prayer "that we may be healed." It does me little lasting good to tell someone about the wrong done to me, unless I am willing to let them help me forgive the injury! A good friend will help us bring our heart to God the right way.
A friend can also pray for us in ways we simply cannot. Their prayers fly out of their hearts to heaven on our behalf; whereas our own broken heart often holds our faith hostage to self pity or despair.
4) Trust your life to God's promises. Few things have worked in my life better than this one, but I had to fight hard to gain the ability. When we have been clobbered by life, it is easy to fall prey to blaming or distrusting God for not saving us from having to go through such pain.
In order to bridge the gap, God gives us promises of restoration: "I am with you. I love you. I am going to make this work for your good." That last one I affectionately call the "magnificent promise" for I had to hang my whole tormented life upon it for the longest time in order to hope that a better day was coming. And it did!
5) Position for divine interventions. God being God, it should come as no surprise that there is nothing we can do to force His Hand. Nevertheless, He invites us to seek Him where He can be found and to seek Him first that all other good things may be added in.
I have known people who were healed by words of scripture that seemed to "come to life" just for them. Others had their hearts mended through a God-breathed dream. Still others have been set free by supernatural visitations from the Lord Himself.
These friends were all simply "going on with their lives" but they were living fully for God as they went along. Then grace happened. You know where He can be found. Drag yourself there if you have to--until duty becomes a delight. Grace wants to drop in on you too!
Are there more ways? I have been helping people (including myself) find healing through these proven means for over 30 years. I know of no other ways. My advice? Don't give up on these God-graced ways. They really work--if you work them!
SHARE
