Healing me, Healing you

Chapter 1

What's holding Me back?

The Prison of Pain

A few years ago, a lady came into my office suffering from insomnia, low energy levels, chronic neck pain and severe acid reflux that she attributed to her high-stress job. I believed her, because I've seen this numerous times. As the session progressed she admitted to me that she had been holding onto un-forgiveness toward a person who deeply wounded her many years prior. She'd been carrying this pain since the event occurred. The one who hurt her had sincerely asked for forgiveness, but my poor, sweet client just could not find a way to let it go. She also had the attitude that this person did not deserve forgiveness anyway! Because of her attitude, she was the one who continued to carry the burden of great pain, in more ways than one!

Another day, a gentleman came in with severe neck and shoulder pain. He had been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, as well. A I began his treatment, he began to get teary-eyed. He was clearly upset. I wondered if I'd been too aggressive with my "trigger point" technique! No, that wasn't it. He was upset because his mind and heart were being tormented day and night, barely able to function! He had made some serious mistakes that tore his family apart and now, he was dealing with the aftermath! This man also admitted that he had stepped away from the church and from God, because of his shame. He was suffering greatly because he could not find it in his heart to forgive himself!

Both of these clients were Christians. Just like the unbelievers of the world, Christians make mistakes, and then, suffer their consequences. They also bear pain inflicted upon them by others and suffer the same disappointments and loss in life. Often, our emotional and spiritual pain will manifest in the body as physical pain and disease. In these cases, the emotional and spiritual issues need to be addressed before the physical pain is eased. Although Christians have a better way of dealing with pain than unbelievers, by living a life in Christ, they are not exempt from it.

When we hurt, God hurts with us, whether we were the victim or the offender. His desire is that we will be able to move on from it so we can live our lives the way He designed.

The Lord placed something on my heart one day that helped me understand His view of us when we are stuck in a holding pattern, as a prisoner of pain. It comes from LUKE 9:62 (NIV), "Jesus replied, 'No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the Kingdom of God."

Living most of my life in the country, I've seen many people plow a field. If you look back while trying to move forward, one of two things will happen; either your lines will be very crooked or you'll wreck by running into something! Neither is good. What Jesus is saying in Luke, is, "If you can't move forward in your life, leaving your past hurts, disappointments and mistakes behind you, I won't be able to use you to do My Kingdom work! You're not fit for it."

I've spent years upset with myself over things I cannot change. When my focus was on my past failures, it was next to impossible to focus on the things of God. This sounds funny to say, but even our sin and our pain can become an "idol" to us. Remember, an idol is anything on which we spend great focus and place before Our God! If I'm so busy focusing on my faults or the way I've been wronged by someone else, my focus will be removed from God and I won't be fit for His service, because He doesn't have my full and best attention.

God wants us to, "Get up; dust off our britches and keep moving forward!" Staying "stuck" will cause us to be stunted in our Christian growth. While we are focusing on things that would be impossible for us to change, we are missing out on all the assignments where God could be using us, along with the many blessings that accompany them.

Please don't let your past sin or the sin of others, rob you of all that God desires for you to have. My hope is that God will lead you into a journey of Restorative Healing that will bring joy and vitality to your soul, making you more "fit for service in His Kingdom." My prayers are with you, as God walks you through this next exciting chapter of your new, restored life with the guidance of His Holy Spirit.

Don't help Satan! We need to lay down the "whip" and stop beating ourselves! So often, we are holding a grudge against ourselves and it serves no purpose! Be free in Christ by making good decisions, according to The Word of God and our emotions will follow. We need to move ahead, serving Christ with our whole heart, and if we are keeping most of our heart as a prisoner of guilt and condemnation, we are not giving God our all! We have so much work to do for Him and once we have truly repented, we need to renew our mind daily, so we can be of good service, with our whole heart. With our heart and mind free we will be more open to receive all of the goodness God has to offer and in turn, be free to share His goodness with others. Don't let "feelings" block His blessings.

Philippians 1:6 (NIV), "Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."