Things are hard before they become easy. Moving on with life after a disappointment doesn’t mean healing has happened- it simply means enough time has passed that we have learned to mask the pain. We often go on with our lives as if nothing had ever happened- as if our world wasn’t just turned upside-down or our heart broken in two.
In a society where strength is celebrated and weakness scorned, we don’t dare show the cracks threatening to demolish our façade. As we continue to live our lives, we inevitably are hurt again. We continue to mask the pain and believe that we are being selfless and brave in our ability to silently endure our trials.
Ultimately, our silent resolve is what leads to our demise.
Friends, we weren’t designed to bear our burdens alone. We aren’t meant to suffer through our deep hurts in isolation. Society tells us that there is strength in our silent suffering, but God’s Word shows us a better way- one that leads to hope and healing.
God Cares
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. -1 Peter 5:7
There is hope for our heartache and healing for our souls if we allow the light of Jesus to shine into the darkest, most closely held pieces of our hurts. Psalm 56:8 says “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.”
God Empathizes
But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. -John 16:32
Jesus was abandoned by his closest friends at His deepest time of need. He was falsely accused, severely beaten, publicly scorned, and put to death with criminals. If anyone can relate to the feelings of hurt and pain, it is Him. Knowing what lay before Him, He sought comfort knowing that His Father was with Him. We, too, can find comfort and peace in His presence.
God Provides
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. -Galatians 6:2
God designed us for relationship with Him and with fellow believers. Belonging to a community of believers means living life together, helping one another, and encouraging one another in the faith. James 5:16 says, “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”
Let the Light In
But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light [of God’s precepts], for it is light that makes everything visible. -Ephesians 5:13
Have you ever been in a darkened room when suddenly the lights are turned on? Even when expected, the sudden burst of light is overwhelming at first. Isn’t it interesting how things that we thought we could see in the dark look much different in the bright light?
The same is true of ourselves. We can’t heal from something we can’t see. There is a reason why operating rooms are full of bright light. Although it may be jarring and painful at first, it isn’t until we allow the light of Jesus to shine within the deepest places of our hearts that true healing can begin.
Trust the Healer
When Jesus saw him lying there and realized he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to get well?” -John 5:6
Are you ready and willing to be healed of your hurts and disappointments? This would seem like an obvious answer, however I believe there is a reason Jesus asked the paralyzed man if he wanted to get well. Our past hurts can often become our identity. Our pain can become something we hide behind, use as an excuse, and as a reason not to forgive others. We can’t become well if we are not willing to recognize the pain and take steps in obedience towards health and wholeness.
Related Reading:
Celebrate Recovery Lesson 14: Ready
