And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast.
1Peter 5:10
Whether you are healing from physical pain or emotional pain, pain is pain. It hurts.
If you read my blog or know me personally, you know some of the pain I have been going through these past couple of years. And yeah, it is still hard.
Pain sometimes comes in waves. One minute we are feeling like" yeah I got this," then bang the memory or feeling comes back and you realize you still have a ways to go. But that's fine! One of the definitions of a journey I found means; traveling a lifelong distance and often in dangerous or difficult circumstances.
I think we can all attest to the part of the difficult circumstances.
I love the scripture above. After we have suffered a while, He will restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast. That scripture gives me so much hope. God is not going to leave us in our pain! In His time He will restore.
Here's what happens when you don't fully forgive so you can heal.
Unforgiveness dissipates your joy. It separates You from God. No one is fully all together satisfied if you carry unforgiveness in your heart.
Unforgiveness weakens you. It takes a lot of strength to not forgive, it kills you slowly from the inside out.
Unforgiveness is giving space for satan to work in your life. We have to forgive “lest Satan should take advantage of us”(2 Cor. 2:11). We invite the enemy in when we choose not to and we are only hurting ourselves.
Unforgiveness contaminates our souls. The Bible says, “Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?”(James 3:11). If you have unforgiveness, the water in your soul will become bitter. Bitter water makes you sick just like unforgiveness. When we don't forgive our soul is sick. We can not fully operate in God's holiness if we are stuck in unforgiveness.
Somewhere along the journey of healing comes the essential task of forgiving. Often the command to forgive seems more than one can bear, but this eternal principle can bring lasting peace.
That's not to say that if you are still hurting that you have not forgiven. Pain is a human part of our journey. Don't neglect it. Feel it. Acknowledge it, and keep moving on. It is a reminder of what happened but don't let that stop You from the process of forgiveness so that you can heal wholly.
My Grace is Sufficient
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2nd Cor. 12:9
We can't do this journey alone. That is why the verse above gives us the expectation that His Grace is sufficient for us. One of the definitions for sufficient is, adequate for the purpose; enough: sufficient proof, sufficient protection. We have everything we need because he is enough. I'm not saying this journey is going to be easy but because of Christ and Christ alone, we can do hard things and do it in such a way where He will get the glory out of it.
Healing
I love what Cassandra McDonald a fellow blogger says about healing.
Healing is a lifelong journey. It is not a specific destination or a one-stop shop.
It is a process to experience and endure with grace, compassion, and humility. As one layer is uncovered, addressed, and healed, another is soon to appear, begging for the attention of its owner – self.
Life is always happening. It’s an inevitable cycle of circumstances, interactions, disappointments, achievements, and more. Despite experiencing many levels of healing, I realized as life continues to unfold itself in its mysterious ways, so do the internal layers within which need healing.
The Purpose of Divine Healing is to Glorify Jesus. In the Book of Acts, we find three important truths we need to grasp: Jesus is still the Healer, Healing comes from Jesus alone, and the purpose of divine healing is always to glorify Him.
So as you walk through this journey of healing remember what Joshua 1:9 says
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”