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Answer
Emotional healing is essential for every individual, as we have all experienced emotional wounds to some extent. There are various forms of emotional brokenness and pain—each unique to different individuals. Whether stemming from natural causes or the sins of others, most people grapple with some form of emotional struggle.
Common symptoms of emotional distress include insomnia, detachment, depression, anger, isolation, bitterness, frustration, and fear. Typical causes encompass abandonment, shattered trust, chronic pain or illness, rejection, lack of community, and a feeling of life’s insignificance. Regrettably, contemporary culture fosters these emotional afflictions. We are increasingly moving away from community towards individualism, from reliable conduct towards selfishness, from moral values that provide our lives with meaning towards existentialism and post-modernism that disconnect us from one another and our humanity, from healthy choices and practices towards instant gratification that harms our physical well-being. How can one navigate this cultural tide and discover emotional recovery?
There is no swift or simple route to emotional healing. While some may claim that accepting Jesus will instantly cure all our afflictions—emotional and otherwise—the reality is that we are bound by our physical nature. Jesus stated, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” «Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. », (Matthew 26:41); the apostle Paul grappled with the flesh, describing how it stubbornly resisted his will and mind’s desires to follow God (Romans 7:18-25).
Following God is the initial step toward emotional healing. He is the One who renews our souls «He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. », (Psalm 23:3); Jesus came, in part, to mend the brokenhearted « The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, Because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, And recovering of sight to the blind, To set at liberty them that are bruised, », (Luke 4:18). However, we must bear in mind that healing is a progression. It entails moment-by-moment decisions to trust and obey the Lord. We must opt for healthy interactions with others (1 Peter 3:8-12), healthy thinking grounded on the truth of Scripture (Philippians 4:4-9), and healthy activities that benefit our bodies «Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. », (2 Corinthians 7:1).
Here are some practical steps a disciple of Christ can take to discover emotional healing:
1) Reflect on God’s Word, the Bible. God’s teachings are “life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body” «For they are life unto those that find them, And health to all their flesh. », (Proverbs 4:22). The individual “whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night” is blessed.
2) Confess any known sin to God. Then take God at His word: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” «If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. », (1 John 1:9).
3) Take control of your thoughts—better yet, allow the Holy Spirit to take control of those thoughts. In the Spirit, “we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” «casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; », (2 Corinthians 10:5).
4) Refuse to fall back into old, sinful habits. “We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin” «knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. », (Romans 6:6). You have been called to holiness and to walk in newness of life «Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. », (Romans 6:4).
5) Forgive those who have hurt you. This is important. “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” «and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you. », (Ephesians 4:32).
The forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32). Be cautious of any root of bitterness in the soul “looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;” (Hebrews 12:15).
6) See yourself as God sees you: loved “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8); gifted “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7); set free “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36); and washed, sanctified, and justified “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:11).
7) Get involved in a Bible-teaching local church and open yourself to their fellowship and teaching ministry. God gives spiritual gifts to His church “to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up” “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:” (Ephesians 4:12). Part of a church’s function is to aid the healing process of those who are emotionally or spiritually wounded.
Jesus Christ can help us find emotional healing. His Spirit is a Spirit of kindness.
God values qualities such as kindness, selflessness, truth, and trustworthiness, and He finds joy in cultivating these attributes in us (Galatians 5:22-23;1 John 3:19-24). When we are filled with His Spirit, He can and will take pleasure in transforming us and shaping us into individuals who can trust and be trusted by others, leading to improved relationships all around «He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. », (John 7:38).
Here are some other verses in the Bible that can bring emotional healing to those who are hurting: Psalm 73:23–26; Psalm 34:17–20; 1 Peter 5:7; Psalm 147:3; Psalm 30:11; John 14:27; Matthew 11:28; Romans 5:1; and Romans 8:32.
