Friday, September 05, 2025
Emotional Healing
It was a cold New England day 25 years ago, as I tried to maintain my perch on the roof. I clutched a board with my cold left hand and maneuvered the eight pound pneumatic nail gun with my right. Aiming carefully, I pulled the trigger. Unfortunately the 3 ½” nail, that was driven by the nail gun, hit a knot in the board and deflected so that it penetrated the middle finger on my left hand. Ouch! Since the nail was driven by air compressed to 90 pounds per sq inch, and since the nail was traveling 1400 ft per second, it hit my knuckle and just bounced my hand away from the board.
The cold made me somewhat numb to the pain, but I took a moment to nurse my wound. There was not much blood, so I just continued to work. Only later would it become evident that I probably fractured my bone or did some other kind of permanent damage. Even today, that knuckle is a little larger than my others and cold weather can cause stiffness and pain. In other words, it happened long ago and was not major, but it continues to affect my life today.
We often experience emotional pain, loss and crippling that is just as real as physical pain. Due to families of origin, financial challenges, health challenges, or other disadvantages, some people seem to have more than others to handle.
The National Council for Mental Wellbeing claims that 70% of adults in the U.S. have experienced some type of traumatic event at least once in their lives. The Domestic Violence Center of Chester reported than nearly half of all women (48.4%) and men (48.8%) in the United States experience psychological aggression by an intimate partner in their lifetime, and that 95% of perpetrators who physically abuse their intimate partners also psychologically abuse them.
Rather than lamenting the fact that we will all experience emotional pain, we should focus on the fact that God planned for emotional healing. God knew life would include all kinds of injury and pain. Like a good Shepherd, He leads us, but He does not shield us from all of life. When we need it, He leads us by still waters and anoints our head with oil.
When we have physical pain, we don’t usually just stuff it, deny, talk to it or blame someone for it and then go on. We tend to it and nurse the wound. So, it is only reasonable to minister to our emotional wounds in the same way. The believer already has some direction for this:
· Psalm 147:2 tells us “He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.”
· In Matthew 11:28-29 Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
· Isaiah 9:6 refers to Jesus as “Wonderful counselor.”
· In Luke 5:32 he is called “the great physician.”
· In John 14:26, when Jesus promised the Holy Spirit, He used a word that the AMP defines as “The Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby).”
Notice how much emphasis these scriptures put on emotional healing. While I know some people are not in touch with their emotions, and others think they are supposed to dismiss their feelings, we would all be wise to recognize that we all have emotional wounds or baggage that needs to be addressed. But this takes a little more humility and vulnerability than some other kinds of healing. It is a mountain that only the brave take on. But this kind of healing is clearly offered to those who believe.
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]
