Wounded

I'm leading a single men's Bible study on Thursday nights. We're walking through the study, Wild at Heart by John Eldredge. This is the second time I've gone through it with a group of men. It's been a good study for me.

Eldredge speaks of "the wound." It's the wound that men receive from their fathers. It's the wound that tells sons, "You're not good enough." "You don't have what it takes to be a man." "You don't measure up." So these sons grow up, living with this wound, never to be the men God had designed them to be - men who desire a battle to fight, an adventure to live, and a beauty to rescue.

This got me to thinking about valley experiencers. We're wounded, too. Sometimes by circumstances beyond our control. Sometimes by bad decisions we have made. And sometimes by those close to us. For whatever reason, we're wounded.

Eldredge reminded us of a verse in Isaiah that Jesus read when He began His public ministry.

Isaiah 61:1
1 The Spirit of the Lord God is on Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and freedom to the prisoners;

I love what it says, He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted. Did you get that? Jesus has come to heal our inner wounds! To comfort our broken hearts!!

I want to encourage you this morning. If you find yourself in the midst of the valley and you are a Christ-follower, take heart, Jesus came so you may find healing and comfort in Him.

Recognize your pain, your wound. Identify its source. Then try these steps (I'm borrowing them from John Eldredge).

1. Surrender your life and your wound to Jesus - quit hanging on to it, give it up.
2. Invite Christ into your wound - allow Him access to your pain and the deepest parts of your soul.
3. Confess how you've mishandled the wound - many of us don't know how or don't want to face our wound so we mishandle it.
   
4. Grieve the wound - it's ok to feel the pain of your wound, if you don't you will live with it for the rest of your life.
5. Let God love you - allow God to get very close to you, quit acting like He doesn't already know about it and open yourself up to Him.
   
6. Ask Christ to set you FREE!! - That's why He came, remember?

I hope this helps. It is a wonderful feeling to be set free from the pain of a wound. It's glorious to see and feel the healing take place. Don't waste another moment hurting and carrying around a wound Christ came to heal.

Stop hurting and start healing
Mike