Hurting Christians
HURTING CHRISTIANS
By Rodney W. Francis
One of the most read articles on The GFM Website is “A Wounded Spirit” and it helps people to identify as to why they are feeling like they are. Regularly we are receiving E-Mails from people who tell us they have been wounded ~ mostly in Christian Church circles or natural family situations. It is sad to realize that there are so many hurting Christians today. It should not be like this. Jesus came to save us, fill us with His Holy Spirit and change us to be more like Him. God’s will is that we live and walk in His victory day by day. However, Jesus also warned us: “It is impossible that no offences should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!” (Luke 17:1). In reality, it is impossible for any of us to go through life without being criticized, offended, rebuked, hurt and rejected in some way. All these things can cause a wounding in our spirit. When we are wounded in spirit there is a blockage within us that does not allow us to rise above what caused that wounding. So, as time goes on, that wounding dictates the way we live, act, respond to others, etc. Many times people can hurt us without their even being aware of it. They say something innocently and that sparks off something hurtful in our life that has been caused by someone else. There are multitudes of reasons that can cause a person to be hurt. Whatever it is that affects us, we need to know that we can do something about it; we can deal with it, and we can get free of it so we can get on and serve the Lord victoriously and joyfully.
When I look back over the times in my life when offences have come against me, I have noticed that because I put the offences ~ and the people who caused them ~ on to God’s altar and leave them there with Him, that He actually turns those offences (which are stumbling-blocks) into stepping-stones that cause me to rise to another level in the Lord. I have also learned that unless we do give these offences to God, then they will fester away inside of us and ultimately destroy us from any effectiveness we may have as Christians. We may have been totally right, but if we re-act wrongly then we will finish up more wrong than the offender(s) who hurt us in the first place! We have to learn to be bigger than the issues at hand! Life is too short to allow other negative, critical people to ruin our quality of life and effectiveness for God! And God will deal to those who cause offences.
Even Jesus was wounded by His own: “What are these wounds between your arms? . . . those with which I was wounded in the house of My friends” (Zechariah 13:6). Even some followers of Jesus were offended by Jesus’ teachings (John 6:59-71)!! I remember the time when a pastor tried to put a curse on me because I was about to open a new church in “his” town. It was a shock to hear what he said to me. As I was driving home in my car from meeting with him, the Lord taught me how to forgive him. He said, “Each day I want you to pray for that man by name and ask Me to bless him. When you can pray that prayer ~ and mean it with all your heart ~ then you will know you have forgiven him.” I thought that would be easy, but when I came to do it, I did not want God to bless that man! I wanted Him to deal to him big time! When I tried to pray out loud for him, I heard myself praying, “Dear God, would you b-b-b-bl-bl-bl . . .” I did not want to say it. Something inside of me did not want God to bless that man. I had been offended! Each day it got a little easier, until the day came when I could pray for God to bless that pastor and I truly meant it. At that moment I knew I was released from the offence and went on to build a strong church in that town. God dealt to the pastor in quite a tragic way and he was basically in a spiritual wilderness up to the time that he died.
- When people offend us, quickly learn to PRACTICE FORGIVENESS!
Learn to see beyond the present hurt and see that if we do not deal correctly with such offences, then it/they will cripple us and render us ineffective as Christians and people generally. Hurt people hurt people! The Christian Church today is full of “wounded warriors” and it should not be like this. We need to know that Jesus has saved us for a purpose and that purpose is not to go through life hurting and wounded because of some other person’s negative words against us (they are entitled to their opinions of us, but that does not need to restrict the way we live). Each time I have gone through a time of being criticized and rejected, when I have given it all to Jesus, He has opened the door for my ministry to become even more effective for Him. What a wonderful way to get one back on the devil!! The devil does not want you and me to be living and walking in the victory of Jesus Christ daily ~ he hates that! So he tries to drag us down by getting someone to offend and hurt us. Know for sure that the enemy will try and target us, seeking to render us powerless and useless so we pose no problems to him. But he is a liar and a loser! Hallelujah to JESUS!
For any reading this who feel they are wounded (in any way), know that there is an answer. Know that Jesus Christ came to set you free and to give you “life and life more abundantly” (John 10:10). Be bold and courageous enough to take your hurts directly to Jesus and give them all to Him. If there are people you need to seek out, talk to, ask forgiveness of, and/or forgive them, do it now; you cannot afford to live with your hurts and woundings. We were not made to carry festering grudges, resentments, etc., no matter how justified we may feel toward that person or persons. Give your “baggage” to Jesus ~ He came to carry our burdens and sorrows (Isaiah 53).
Here is the prayer that is in the article on “A Wounded Spirit.” If you feel and know that you are carrying spiritual wounds, then pray it now (please pray it out aloud):
“Dear God, I come to You in the name of Jesus Christ Your Son. You know all about my life and circumstances; nothing that has happened to me is unknown to You. I now consciously forgive all those who have spoken negatively and done hurtful things to me. Lord, I place them on Your altar and ask You to bless them. I now submit all my hurts and woundings to You, and ask You to release my wounded spirit to be healed, in Jesus’ mighty name! I speak to my spirit to come into divine order, that I may rise up again in Your name and know the joy and freedom of being made whole! I thank You, Lord Jesus, that You hear and answer my cry. Right now I accept my healing and give myself afresh to You. Please take over my life and let me live it in abundance to glorify You every day. In Jesus’ name I pray these things, Amen.”
Now that you have prayed this prayer, believe what you have prayed. Leave all your hurts with Jesus Christ and begin to walk in all of His sure promises to you. Accept the fact that your wounded spirit is now released to be healed in Jesus’ Mighty Name! He loves you totally and cares greatly for YOU! Now rise up and fulfil your destiny that He has for you. God bless you super-abundantly!
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