Hold The Hurt

Hold The Hurt

May 30, 2016

Psalm 30:11  "You have turned my wailing into dancing; you have removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy."

Many of us have been hurt by those we love.  It is inevitable if you are going to live with other humans.  They will let us down, sometimes intentionally, but most of the time they aren't even trying to hurt us.  It just happens, even because of our own insecurities or pride.  People are imperfect, and full of being human.  They don't live up to our expectations and we end up getting hurt.  It is okay to hurt, to feel the repercussions of the incident.  It is even okay to feel angry and upset, even disappointed.  But then we must move forward if we are to live out our Christianity.  I said move forward, not move on.  Moving on is an attempt to forget it, ignore it.  Moving forward is an effort to let the hurt shape you into a healthier person.  But there is a caveat to moving forward.  You cannot move forward AND hold on to the hurt.

The Bible is full of instances when someone holds on to the hurt, letting it shape them into evil monsters.  Holding onto hurt only leads to bitterness and resentment, and eventual failure as a person.  You cannot be a successful Christian and hold on to your hurt at the same time.  You cannot let God heal you of the hurt if you are still holding on to it.  In order for you to move forward you have to be willing to give your hurt to the Lord and allow Him to use it for your good.

King Saul, the first King of Israel was not one to give his hurt to the Lord.  He let his ego get offended when David succeeded in battle, starting with the killing of Goliath.  David technically didn't do anything to Saul, other than fight the giant.  But Saul got hurt, his ego wounded so severely.  Instead of dealing with this pain and frustration, he let it fester and boil inside, leading to hate.  This hate led Saul down an evil path of revenge the rest of his life, not resting until David was dead.  Thankfully the Lord saved David from Saul, but Saul was never able to move forward from the hurt of his pride.  Saul eventually ended up dead from a war that could have been avoided had he only submitted his hurt to the Lord.  Saul held on to the hurt and it was the cause of his downfall.

I know you have been hurt in life.  You've been hurt by your close family members, you've been hurt be people in the church, you may even feel hurt by the Lord.  This hurt, if left unchecked, if left unforgiven, only leads to more pain.  No one ever got healed from the burn of a fire by holding onto that fire.  Satan wants you to believe if you can hold on to that hurt and channel it to make you stronger, then you can keep from getting hurt in the future.  This is the antithesis of what the Lord desires from you and the Lord is usually right.  He wants you to forgive, to turn the other cheek, to give your pain to Him so He may shape it into something beautiful.  Only the Lord can turn your sorrow into dancing.  Only the Lord can make beauty from ashes.  Only the Lord can turn your situation and use it for His glory, the exact situation you are painfully trying to navigate at this very moment.  The Lord is asking you to bring it to Him, to allow yourself to rest in His arms and watch as He takes that awful situation and makes you a more successful Christian because of it.

Only don't hold on to that hurt; don't let it be the cause of your ruin.  Be willing to allow Him to change your mourning into dancing.  If you are not willing, then the Lord cannot make something beautiful from your pain.  In fact, listen to what the Lord says will happen when you let Him bind up your wounds:  Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance.

Don't take my word for it; look it up:  1 Samuel 18, Ps 30, Is 61