But no matter the hurt experienced, people are hurt again and again.

Hurting, Healing and Hope

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

                As we prepare to enter Lent 2018 our focus is on Dr. Sandra

Wilson’s book, “Hurt People Hurt People” which calls us to look at how we are hurt and hurt others even though we proclaim Jesus as Saviour. Christians are often told to have more faith and all will be well.  But no matter the hurt experienced, people are hurt again and again. Yet where do intelligent adults get the idea that any human being ought to be able to take everything without feeling anything? This is not good—but called binding shame. This means that one’s identity is bound by shame, that is one will think that they are worth less than other people. But why do we think we should be perfect? Because others have said this and in doing so, continue to hurt us. Then we are filled with shame.  Shame is the soul-deep belief that something is horribly wrong with me that is not wrong with anyone else in the entire world. Yet we have faith in God and having this faith enables us to try again.

                God looks at the heart of his children and sees us for our real selves even when we don’t even see ourselves for real. God focuses on our unseen, inner lives (hearts) but do we? Often we do not even though we are called to examine ourselves before sharing in the Lord’s Supper. What would you find if you looked inwardly at the condition of your heart with truth? Would you then turn to Jesus in faith and seek forgiveness?

                During Lent we are called to look within ourselves, at our hearts and see what God sees- hurt, pain, or prolonged sins hidden from the past. Yet God is calling us out of the dark caves of our denial of pain and hurt in order that we might risk truth’s light. But are we willing to do this? If we hide from painful truths, we deprive ourselves of discovering that Jesus, the Great Physician is able to heal our unseen wounds.

Question for Reflection:

God cares a lot about our inner selves and our hidden wounds. God calls us to self-awareness so that we can get away from identifying ourselves as hurt people. How do these verses help you do this?

Proverbs 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

Mark 7:21  For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man “unclean”.

I Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Psalm 51:6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts, you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

Prayer: God it is so scary to thinking about leaving familiar places that are filled with hurt. Help me to love truthful self-awareness more than fearful self absorption and to know the difference. Make me willing to commit to you my thoughts feelings and even the scary memories of hurt. Amen.

Resource:  Dr. Sandra D Wilson, Hurt People Hurt People, Discovery House Publishers, 2001.