When the pain of your hurting heart becomes overwhelming, and the light at the end of the tunnel seems impossible to see, it's natural to become overwhelmed and question where to begin your healing journey. I've been there too. I’ve questioned my faith in God's comfort when the pain clouded my mind from thinking clearly, making it hard to see any good. Maybe you've felt this way too. Have you ever wondered and said things to yourself like, “Will I hurt like this forever? How do I even begin to heal when the pain feels insurmountable?” The world often says that time heals all wounds, but the truth is that only Christ can truly heal your wounds. Christ is the perfect advocate for our hurts because he understands our pain. He created the entire world, yet His people abandoned, rejected, and crucified Him. He faced rejection and betrayal almost daily from his Jewish culture, the religious leaders, his family, and even one of his closest disciples. If there’s anyone who knows firsthand about suffering, it's our Lord and Savior.

The pain we experience from others tends to rob us of the best parts of ourselves. It mercilessly snatches away our innocence, leaving our hearts wounded and hesitant to love without reservation. In response to this pain, we instinctively construct walls around our hearts, believing them to be fortresses of protection. Foolishly, we think by doing this, we’re safeguarding ourselves from the impending fear of others' departure. This internal struggle often leads us to make two choices: we may either push people away, haunted by the fear of their eventual departure, or withdraw from the world, hoping to escape further heartache. In this battle-scarred landscape of the soul, we come to the point of recognizing our deep need for Christ's healing grace. Through His boundless love and understanding, He restores our hearts, allowing us to rediscover the capacity for genuine love for others and ourselves.

It’s important to remember that Christ understands our pain and is always there to heal us, which brings us to our first point.

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Don't Hesitate to Lay It All Before Jesus

In any healing journey, the crucial first step is admitting our needs. We must confess and surrender our pain, for it is in our confession that we receive His abundant grace. As 1 Peter 5:7 beautifully reminds us, “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” I still struggle with letting go and letting God. I want to fix mine and other people's problems, too. But, when we keep our pain bottled up, we inadvertently hinder the transformative power of the Holy Spirit within us. However, when we open ourselves up to the Lord, allowing the Holy Spirit to move and cleanse us from all past hurts, we partake in a sacred act of healing filled with the grace of Christ.

You Have to Remember Your IDENTITY Is in Christ

One of my favorite hobbies is reading. It must be the introvert in me. Nothing sounds better than finding time alone and getting lost in a good book. But I also love reading books that deepen my faith and help me understand the Bible more profoundly. When I come across something insightful from Scripture, my husband always tells me that we wouldn't have realized that insight unless we took the time to study, and studying comes when we engage our minds fully in reading God's word.

However, constantly buying books can get very expensive. So, I love finding books at thrift stores for huge discounts. One person may no longer see the value in the item they give away, but I see immense value in it! That is because the eye of the beholder always determines the value. God has made us in his image (Genesis 1:27) and has decided in his providential care to redeem our worth through the sacrifice of his son Jesus Christ (Romans 5:10-11).

The people in our lives, whether family, friends, or colleagues, all play a role in how we see ourselves. Our home life may not have been as stable growing up, which produced insecurity deep within our hearts. Now, we find that we are always seeking approval from others. We may want to gain respect from our friends, so we purchase items we can't afford and participate in activities we would only do to remain in our social circle. Our colleagues may pressure us to gossip or engage in unethical business endeavors. We also have our emotional turmoil of feeling anxious, defeated, guilty, ashamed, or just plain worn out. Then we have the enemy who whispers to us all day, saying, "You are not smart enough; you are shy and could never stand up for yourself; you have no meaning and purpose in this life." Woah! So, how do we redefine ourselves and remember our value? Defining ourselves can only be found in Christ. God has redeemed us because he loves us, and through his Son, is where we can find our ultimate value and purpose. We are bearers of God’s image, and Christ, through the power of the Spirit, is restoring that image. We are God’s daughters regardless of what we lose or gain. And that daughterhood never changes; it's a reality and privilege no one can take away and carries an eternal weight of glory.

Friend, it is time you begin your healing journey and remember these truths: Lay it all before Jesus and discover your identity in Christ. You'll find healing, a profound sense of purpose, and value in Him. Your hurting heart will not ache forever; in Christ, you'll discover a path to restoration, wholeness, and the enduring love of your Heavenly Father.