Proper Healing From Pain:
"The Perseverance to Proper Healing"

Healing came slow those long months, and I know that isn't the most encouraging thing to hear. But things did change when I committed to the healing process God's way instead of shortcutting my way out. It will take time, but that's where the message of Hebrews 10 steps in for encouragement. It's one of my favorite verses and has sustained me through some pretty challenging seasons in life.

Perseverance is a must have on the journey to complete healing. It means getting out of bed in the morning, going to work and making it through the day, one day at a time. It means doing those things you don't feel like doing, like worship and prayer. Perseverance is trusting that God has a purpose for you and will be with you. If you can persevere through the grief and pain, you'll come out on the other end with a great reward. You'll be more mature, abounding in faith, and better equipped to minister to others out of your own story. Furthermore, you will receive an eternal reward that can't be bought with the shortcuts of this world.

I have never observed this more than in my own brother's life. Zach was in a very serious relationship with his high school sweetheart and the week he was to propose, they discovered she was pregnant weeks after their own failure. Within days his girlfriend broke up with him and Zach went into the hardest season of his life. For months Zach heard nothing about his child and he missed his great love deeply. However, people began to notice a resilience and faith in Zach that shouted the goodness of God. In fact, many were ministered to, including me, as a result of the fruit bearing in his life. Zach chose to persevere through his storm and seek proper healing. Thankfully, God restored that relationship and now they have a wonderful, happy family.

As someone who pursued healing from this world, I can tell you it doesn't work. Some things may mask the pain temporarily, but they will never allow you to heal. Only God can, and I hope you'll pursue the road less traveled for the only healing that will restore you. Make a commitment each day to pursue God's way of healing, which reaches the depths of your soul and replaces the pain with peace.

"So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised."
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10:35-36‬ ‭

Experiencing Hope and Healing In A Fallen World:
FORGIVING YOURSELF

Forgiveness can be difficult. Perhaps never more so than when extending it to one person in particular: yourself.

On a warm spring day in 2008, Leslie McGill set out toward Dallas, Texas, where her husband had taken a job. With her in the SUV were her two children, Gabriel and Marissa. All three were excited about this new chapter in life. The future looked bright. But in the blink of an eye, it all went dark.

Several hours into their drive, the family puppy started mischief in the backseat, climbing all over Gabriel, trying to steal his lunch from his lap. With the highway around her empty, Leslie felt it was safe to reach behind her to assist her son. Her eyes only left the road for a moment.

But that split second is all it would take.

The SUV began to drift off the shoulder of the road. Startled, Leslie over-corrected, and the vehicle careened down the embankment and struck a tree. Thirteen-year old Marissa was killed.

In the midst of such terrible circumstances, one question emerges: How do you learn to forgive yourself? Perhaps in your case no one has died. Still, perhaps your choices have killed a marriage or a relationship with a family member.

The most important thing you can do is fall into the loving arms of Jesus and experience anew His grace and mercy. That's where healing always begins. But it doesn't end there. We need to leave behind the emotional isolation in which our shame has imprisoned us and connect with people who care about us. Tragic mistakes don't just wound us; they shatter us, and a broken person can't be their own source of healing. So immerse yourself in the embrace of family and friends, or seek help from a professional counselor if you've felt trapped in your heartache. God's love and assurance and caring gestures from others builds forgiveness within us until we are able to embrace it for ourselves.

For a daily dose of encouragement and perspective, check out Jim Daly's blog, Daly Focus, at JimDalyBlog.com.

"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christʼs power may rest on me."
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭12:9‬ ‭

Breaking Free From Depression:
Dangers of Depression

Did you know you are in the middle of a giant battle? It's true. And it's spiritual. Satan is our greatest enemy and the battlefield for all this is our mind. What does that look like? Here are some common dangers posed by the feelings our mind produces.

Emotions can distort our view of God, life, and ourselves. Maybe you've heard sayings like: red with anger, green with envy, or love is blind. Emotions interfere with our ability to see and think clearly and distort our view of reality and truth.
Feelings are not reality. Maybe you feel alone, worthless, or like peace is impossible to find. Did you know that you are not alone? Christ promises to never leave you. You were created in God's image and He sees you with great value. He offers peace that passes all understanding.
Emotions are a terrible decision-making system. Intense feelings create an urgent need to make a decision, causing impulsive and selfish decisions. Rather than reacting based on feelings, have patience and self-control to see facts the Holy Spirit and the Bible show you.
Emotional distortion makes us impatient. We often judge our situation too early and anticipate a negative outcome. We tend to not see the bigger picture, think we have lost or failed, and quit too soon instead of waiting to see God's great comeback play out.
Our wants and needs are confused. Oftentimes the line between a want and need gets blurred. If we aren't careful, we think we need certain things in order to have peace, joy, or be acceptable before God.
We become entitled. We believe we deserve happiness, health, and popularity. Instead of realizing everything we have is a gift from God, we start thinking God owes us something. God doesn't make mistakes and has a reason for the circumstances in our lives, so hang in there and follow Him. He will lead you to peace.
Suicide is contemplated. Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. When a person feels suicidal, they communicate they want the pain to end, but see no hope the way they're living now. Embrace a different way to think and live. Welcome God's love by the Spirit and follow His instructions in the Bible and your pain can be progressively endured, and even outweighed by God's blessings in your life.

"If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything."
‭‭1 John‬ ‭3:20‬ ‭

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devilʼs schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lordʼs people."
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6:10-18‬ ‭