God’s Healing Ways
I Thessalonians 5:14
And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
Were you ever emotionally injured as a child or teen? You’re fortunate if you weren’t. These happenings can be devastating to both those who have suffered this kind of cruelty and to those who are around them. Maybe you lost a parent at a young age or maybe you lived through your parents separating and finally divorcing. Maybe you wonder why do I still avoid getting close to anyone or those who are around you wonder why you just don’t “get over it,” and move on. One time I was in the middle of one of the worst seasons of my life, nothing that was of my own making. Everyone, unfortunately, in my circle of colleagues and friends all knew. I felt like when around them, as if I were a leper. Once in a prayer circle, someone wanted to pray for me and asked my how I was doing. Honestly, I think I was in a major depression, yet another person in the group so flippantly said, “Oh, just get over it!” Needless to say, it was like someone took a sharp knife and cut deeply into my already worn out psyche. These things effect you and these kinds of injuries take time to heal. We are looking at the most vulnerable parts of our heart. To be strengthened and healed takes time. This is what Paul, the Apostle is speaking of in our verse. The person feels the pain and will go into a sense of shock. If there is loving support, their heart can melt again, and the pain may return again. As the wounded spirit draws back into relationship, the old adage “sometimes things have to get worse before they get better,” may apply. Yet, this causes us to grow and get stronger, by learning how to exercise our thoughts and emotions in a healthy way. It is emotional processing and it takes time. Have you ever had a broken bone or muscle surgery? I had a knee replacement, and the doctor told me to get on my stationary bike the very next day and put my foot in the stirrup of the pedal and just swing my leg gently back and forth. I wanted to heal, to strengthen my joint, ligaments and muscles. I tenderly helped lift my foot into place and swung my leg back and forth. Wow! You can only imagine what that felt like, yet each time throughout the day, it got a little less painful. This is not unlike our emotional wounds and hurts that the enemy of our soul would want to use to bind us up into a depressive state. Our verse tells us we are to encourage the disheartened, help the weak and be patient with everyone. As well as those who may be able to you heal, be someone who can listen, really care, and be there as a tool in God’s healing process as it takes place. He encourages us to do so.
What about you? Do you have hurts, memories, and happenings that you need inner healing? Ask the Lord to direct you through this process. Are you willing to be someone who can be a friend, healing to be a listener, encourager, and prayer person for someone else the Lord may send your way? God can use you. Have a healing day for you and possibly for someone else in need.
