Heartwork Heals Our Hurts

Psalm 34:18

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted

and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

As we go through life we are going to be hurt and we are going to hurt others. Life happens and it isn’t always what we expect. Have you ever heard the phase, hurting people hurt others? We love people that hurt us or life circumstances might make us angry causing us to channel that anger toward anyone really, but usually toward those we love. Yes, it’s ugly but that’s just the way life is.

These life hurts are wounds and they leave scars; memories we can’t seem to let go of sometimes, causing the hurt to linger and the anger to fester.

I was watching Beth Moore this week and heard her say that “something happens between the wound and the scar and it’s called healing.” Only with the help of Jesus can we be healed. He sent us the Holy Spirit to help. A friend of mine calls it heartwork and, just like homework, it’s important. The healing comes when we allow the Holy Spirit to do the heartwork in us.

Isaiah 61:1-3

¹The Spirit of the Lord [a]GOD is upon me,

Because the LORD has anointed me

To bring good news to the [b]afflicted;

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to captives

And [c]freedom to prisoners;

² To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD

And the day of vengeance of our God;

To comfort all who mourn,

³ To grant those who mourn in Zion,

Giving them a garland instead of ashes,

The oil of gladness instead of mourning,

The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting.

So they will be called [d]oaks of righteousness,

The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.

Hurts are like scars, but rather than making them a reminder of the offense or the offender they can be a reminder of His presence, power, love, patience, friendship and interest in us and our well-being. We are not meant to walk around with thoughts of those who mistreated us, nor are we to dwell on our own poor behavior. Yes, we recognize that these things happened but forgiveness is in the Lord’s free gift through His death on the Cross. You’ve already received it and you can’t give it back, neither can you withhold it from others. That only makes the heartwork harder.  

Let the scars be a reminder of Christ and how He walked you through the healing process—the heartwork. During this time your heart will change. He will transform your hurts into something useful for His kingdom; bearing your hurts so you can be free to live the life He has planned for you. There is a closeness to Jesus developed during this heartwork. It transforms your thinking, your heart, and your life turning it toward Him and away from the hurt. The thing that hurt you in the past becomes a reminder of His power and love in the present. A reminder of how He walked you through the heartwork, standing by you every step of the way.  

Psalm 147:3-5

³He heals the brokenhearted

    and binds up their wounds.

⁴ He determines the number of the stars

    and calls them each by name.

⁵ Great is our Lord and mighty in power;

    his understanding has no limit.