Harder Not To

“Healing is hard, but it’s harder not to.”
Loren Thornburg

The advice is clear for treating a wound: don’t ignore it.  When you ignore the wound the infection can spread.  The medical field recommends four steps: take care of it immediately, clean it, see a doctor (if needed), keep pressure off of the wound.  It seems this is great advice for more than the healing of a wound, but for our hearts as well.  We seem to be really good at ignoring our wounds.  Somehow that is the message we get.  If you ignore it then it will go away.  Unfortunately, dismissing it doesn’t heal it.  We wouldn’t expect a cut to heal without proper care and our hearts are just the same.  They need to be attended to, cleaned, advised and have space to rest.  There are many good ways to walk this out and the only wrong way is to ignore it.  We tend to opt out of this process because it’s hard.  I wish I could tell you it wasn’t, but it is hard to walk out healing whether emotional or physical, but it is harder if you don’t.  For what happens is then it gets worse, bringing more pain and less joy.  Don’t opt because it’s hard, for the reality is that it’s actually the easier option.  Healing is hard, but it’s harder not to.  

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
Psalm 147:3

God is a god who heals.  It is in His nature.  His character is a healer, especially of the heart.  The word wounds in this Psalm is better understood as grief or sorrow.  So it is your heart that the Lord most wants to heal.  The hard part is, it doesn’t heal on it’s own and it doesn’t heal overnight.  He takes us through a process of healing so that when you’re griefs are healed and bound up you get more than healing, but an intimacy with Him.  When you invite Him in for healing you get more than healed, but you get more of Him.  So although the healing is hard, it’s worth it.  Don’t miss the healing He has for you.  Even though it’s hard, it’s always harder not to.  Just think of all you might miss...freedom, joy, Him.