by John O’Malley
“The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; But a wounded spirit who can bear?” Proverbs 18:14
When you are medically sick, you desire to get better. Your inner man, your spirit, drives you to get well. But what happens when your spirit gets wounded?
When the spirit gets wounded, we call these emotional wounds. Emotional wounds may come from marriage, ministry, acquaintances, and family. In fact, the very people you have given your life’s calling to reach with the Gospel can wound your spirit.
Emotional wounds are not a recent generational phenomenon. Scripture affirms the existence of wounded spirits by asking, “But a wounded spirit who can bear?”
How do you cope when emotionally wounded? How do you process the hurt caused by another? Do you retreat within your fears, brood, or seethe with anger? Do you try to hide because of shame or guilt?
I watch when ministry people become wounded. They use their platform of ministry to attack the one who wounded them on Social Media. I watched others go after the one who wounded them from the pulpit or in the classroom. Yet, others resort to gossip to sow seeds of discord about the one who wounded them.
Jeremiah (8:22) spoke of a wounded person with access to medicine and physicians. He even asked why they were not better when they had access to health.
Jeremiah validated the truth: Israel had a wound. The wound was real; it was not to be denied.
Jeremiah asked if the region of Gilead had run out of its healing balm. He wanted to know if there was still a medicine available.
Jeremiah further inquired, were there still physicians in Gilead? Doctors were available and present to help apply the balm needed for the wound.
Jeremiah asked with a perceptible tone, if they had all the resources, why were they not better yet?
Because of a fear of perceived weakness, you may not readily admit you have a wound. Your children can point to your wound. Your spouse can tell you of your wound. Yet, if you do not readily admit there is a wound, how will you get better?
It is acceptable and permissible to say I have a wound. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps and remember, there is a medicine, the word of God. You will need to force yourself to recall there is a physician, the Holy Spirit of God. You will need to decide. When will I allow myself to heal?
Tell the Lord, this is where they hurt me. Listen for Him to say, “Yes, but this is where I began to heal you.”
Thank you.
Yours for the harvest,
John O’Malley
If this article has been an encouragement to you, you can email Bro. O’Malley here to let him know.