Hurt Or Healed? (part 1)

HURT OR HEALED?

If you know me, or have heard me speak at all, you know that I don't pull punches and I speak strongly, especially to men. I try to behave myself a bit more in mixed company...sorta. I talk about my life, my struggles, the stuff I have come through and the things I still fight. I want them to know that I'm not any different. I need the daily Grace that God extends to all of us. I regularly stand before them and ask them to put their hands up if they have ever struggled with this, that and the other. The whole time my hand is up in the air with them.

The war is on every day, and the sideline is NO PLACE FOR YOU! I spent time on the sideline, I've spent time on my back, wounded on the battlefield of life. I've gotten back on my feet, thinking that I was good to go. But in reality I was just walking wounded.

I'm going to spend some time over the next few postings talking about "healing". I've been spending a lot of time in front of men at conferences talking about this. But I think this issue needs to be brought up here. It's a monster of an issue. It's a problem that plagues men, women, children, pastors, leaders, dads, moms, husbands, and wives. It is, quite frankly, one of the most significant issues today, in and out of the church. In fact it really wasn't until just two and half years ago that I really explored this issue myself and found that I needed significant help in this area, and I was already over 10 years into ministry.

Here's the question. Have you ever been heart broken, abandoned, rejected, heart wounded, lied to, judged, lied about, walked on, or been the one that hurts, abandons, rejects, etc? I have, ALL OF IT! Most of us have. It hurts, BAD!!!

Here's the next question. Where is that hurt now? Is it still clear and present? Or is it suppressed enough where we think that you are over it? Time might bring a little balance, but suppressed "hurt" is just a timebomb waiting for that perfect time to explode.

It may be happening everyday to some people, and they use the excuse, "it's just how I'm wired", or "it's just who I am!" Which isn't entirely false. The sinful nature of man prewires us to respond a certain way when we have been hurt. We promise ourselves that we will never again place ourselves in a position to be hurt. So we control, lash out, or just run away among other things. The enemy has lied to us and told us that can't change, because that's who we are. Our response mechanisms have been narrowed to negative reactions; anger outbursts, shut down, heavy drinking, defensiveness, etc., and we can justify it in our heads.

The bad news is "hurt people, hurt people."

The good news is "nothing is exempt from the power of God." We will dive into the solution in the next couple postings.

Love God. Love People.

Bram