Replacing Hurt with Wholeness

We’ve all encountered individuals who project an image of happiness, but who secretly harbor deep-seated hurt. Perhaps this is even true of your life today.

There are countless ways emotional pain seeks to find entrance into our lives, even when we are sincerely following the Lord. Sometimes the hurt has entered through an absentee father, an abusive mother, an unfaithful spouse, a slight from a boss, or something as simple as an unkind word from a stranger. But while the varieties of emotional pain are endless, they all share a common orchestrator: Satan.

In the Garden of Eden, Satan came as a serpent, with the specific purpose of moving Adam and Eve from their trust in God and His instructions. The devil uses the same tactics today, often attacking people’s minds through their feelings and emotions.

Faulty Emotions

Of course, God Himself is the One who originally created emotions for humankind, and we know that everything He created was for a beneficial purpose (Genesis 1:31). However, like so many other things God made, what started as good was later perverted by the devil.

Hurt is a negative emotion. It robs us as God’s beloved children, of what He says we can be and what He says we can have.

Those who have been emotionally wounded will typically listen to their negative emotions rather than to the voice of God’s Spirit. This only makes the situation worse. Emotions and feelings fluctuate, making them very unreliable sources of information or guidance.

In an effort to find relief, people who have been hurt often resort to misguided self-help efforts. Sometimes they hurt others in an attempt to feel better, or else they pretend the pain doesn’t exist, harden their heart, or build new relationships upon the foundation of their hurt. All of these efforts are doomed to fail.

To deal with hurt successfully and go forward in life, you must refuse to use your pain as a point of reference. Determine that you’ll stop “bringing it up” all the time. You are NOT powerless. You can change. But you have to stop believing the lies of the enemy.

Using Your Authority

Never forget, you have been given authority over any attacks against your mind and emotions. The Bible says:

Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over ALL the power of the enemy: and NOTHING shall by any means hurt you (Luke 10:19).

This is not to say you will never stub a toe or bump a knee. It is saying, however, that God wants to protect you from sin, hurt, and harm—even from Satan. According to Ephesians 1:13, “You were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise” when you accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior. But you still have a responsibility each day to renew your mind—your thought life—with the Word of God (Romans 12:1-2).

As you allow your mind to be renewed, emotional pain will subside. God’s healing balm will come in and bring you a whole new dimension of wholeness.

The Message very powerfully paraphrases Philippians 4:6-7:

Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

This is what God wants to do for YOU today — replacing hurt with wholeness so you can enjoy life as you walk with Him each day.

…

Learn How to Have a Relationship with God