’…You, O Lord, have helped me and comforted me.’ Psalm 86:17
NIV
Have you been hurt by a Christian who chose to condemn you
instead of showing compassion and helping you? Or by someone
who neglected you when they should have sought you out, restored
you spiritually and returned you to your rightful place in the family
of God? Most people who’ve been hurt by other Christians could
easily convince a jury that it should never have happened. And the
truth is, it shouldn’t. But it does – and reliving it won’t change
things, or change you, for the better.
Stop and think: if you were mugged and taken to the hospital, you
wouldn’t spend all your time obsessing about the person who beat
you up. No, your main objective would be to recover as quickly as
possible and move on. Ironically, with physical wounds we seek
help immediately, but with emotional ones we’re inclined to focus
on the problem instead of the solution.
So what are you going to do? Here are your options:
(1) Rehearse it. By constantly talking to others about what
happened, you empower your pain and keep it alive.
(2) Repress it. David did that: ‘When I kept silent…my strength was
sapped as in the heat of summer’ (Psalm 32:3-4 NIV).
(3) Process it. That means being willing to uncover the areas where
you were wounded and opening yourself to receive God’s grace.
That’s when you discover that ‘He heals the brokenhearted and
binds up their wounds’ (Psalm 147:3 NKJV).
(4) Share it. The Bible says, ‘Confess your sins to each other, and
pray for each other, that you may be healed…’ (James 5:16 NIV).
If you’re wise you’ll choose options (3) and (4).
SoulFood: Acts 1:1 – 3:10; Matt 2:1-12; Ps 127; Pro 10:19-21
as seen in The Word For Today and passed on by Cup O’Cheer