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Read This When Life Hurts

“I’m Hurt!” Have you ever at some point in your life made that statement? If so, this article is for you.

Psalm 34:18 ESV – “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

Painful things happen. The harsh reality is that we live in a broken world with imperfect human beings. Whether in your relationships, in ministry, or with work, people can get hurt. I have no idea what has caused you pain along the way, but what I do know is that you were not meant to still be carrying them. There is so much that God wants to do through us all, and if we continue to ignore the hurts we experience we will find ourselves ineffectively living out His call on our lives.

Whether it is a wife, a mother, a ministry leader, a friend, or a co worker, we all have to come face to face with the ugly wounds and scars to be healed by our Heavenly Father. So, I ask, how do you deal with hurt? Consider the following points, and choose today to pursue a heart that is healed and made whole in Christ.
  1. Acknowledge the Hurt– For many of us, the way we “handle our hurts” is by letting them fester ultimately leading to bitterness and resentment, pretending they never happened, or just adding it to the long list you’ve been mentally keeping in your back pocket to pull out at any given moment. That, my friend, draws us further away from the healing and freedom that God desperately desires us to experience. If we continue ignoring the bruises that our hearts are enduring, then we’ll never be able to fully receive the help we need. We can tell ourselves and others, “I’m fine” or “I’m OK.” The truth of the matter is that we’re not. So, we have to choose today to be women who will maintain healthy hearts by not allowing hurts to go unacknowledged, but to lay those hurts before the Father who will heal us.
  2. Know that Every Hurt is Different – A broken arms are treated much different than a stubbed toe. While both are painful, they each require a different level of attention and a different amount of time to truly heal. Some injuries even require a series of follow up even after healing. I believe our hearts are the same. It’s necessary for us to identify the true extent to which we’ve been wounded and give ourselves the adequate time and space we need. Some of us may be able to find healing from a hurt through a small conversation. Others, however, may require a professionally trained mediator/counselor to help. Whether a friend lashed out or someone deeply betrayed you, let’s choose to be women who are honest about the depth of our pain in order to allow healing into those deep areas. If you don’t know how to identify what degree of help you need, seek out wise counsel from your pastor, counselor, mentor, or accountability partner. Then, allow yourself to go through the treatment plan that’s necessary to get your heart back in tip top shape.
  3. Good Hurts Exist – When it comes to the topic of dealing with hurt, I had to address the fact that sometimes we label what is truly an offense as a hurt. Are you mad because your friend called you out on something that was hindering your example as a believer in Christ? Proverbs 27:6 says “Faithful are the wounds of a friend.” If you’re harboring bitterness and resentment because someone who loves you and cares for you just wanted to help you be better, then I encourage you to change your perspective. This hurt is like the pain you experience after a good workout. God is constantly pruning away the things inside us that is unlike Him. It may sting a little, but it is for the best.

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