You may be familiar with the slogan from Capital One® – “What’s in your wallet?” With this message, they are attempting to get you to examine the contents of one of your prized possessions (your wallet) to be sure you have the best payment solution inside.
I am not sure if Capital One is the best, but this slogan has recently got me thinking – what IS on the inside of my most prized possession? The Bible tells us that our bodies are the temple (the home) of God (1 Corinthians 6:19) and that we are to take care of them – physically and spiritually.
Many people go to great lengths to ensure their physical health is optimal. “Gym rats” spend hours working out muscles to maintain (or regain!) a strong body. We spend millions of dollars on eating programs and supplements to ensure that we are at a good weight for our age and height.
The latest stats say the weight loss industry has revenues of over $305 billion. Whoa! Someone’s got a really big wallet!
While it is not easy to get in physical shape, I believe it is easier than getting our emotional and spiritual lives healed. Wounds from our past can influence our behavior and our words. If left unaddressed, they have the potential to poison everything in our lives including relationships, jobs and, yes, even our relationship with our Father in heaven.
But let’s face it – we all have a past. We’ve all been wounded. We’ve all been hurt. How do I know this? Because we live on planet earth which is filled with imperfect humans… and hurting people hurt people.
Perhaps it was through words or actions, intended or not, the hurt happened. And just like we may need help to drop the physical weight, we need help to drop the emotional weight.
While a gifted counselor can guide us through our healing process, they cannot do the work for us. They can offer up suggestions, but unless we put them into action, our time spent with them is simply time spent rehearsing the wound.
For complete and lasting healing, we need to turn to the Healer of our hearts. We need to turn to our Lord and Savior, Jesus.
“I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1 NKJV)
Jesus says it Himself – that He came to heal the brokenhearted (Luke 4:18). If anyone is familiar with having their heart broken, it’s Jesus! His BFF’s abandoned Him when He needed them the most. His own family mocked Him. And we all know what those who had no clue who He was did to Him.
The first step in any healing process is to identify the cause or the root. Once we have a grasp on that, we can then apply the proper medicine. We don’t put a Band-Aid on our heads for a migraine. Likewise, when we turn to God’s Word for healing, we have to be focused on the area of healing needed.
To identify our “roots” takes some self-reflection and a big dose of honesty. We also need to see and acknowledge how we may be contributing to our own pity parties. Then, we can turn to God to help us leave early, and never RSVP in the affirmative again.
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” (Psalm 147:3)
This week, I’d like to encourage you to examine what’s in your heart. What’s the pain or wound that’s been festering and that longs for complete healing? Talk to God about it. He won’t be shocked as He already knows! Ask for His help to heal and for the steps He wants you to take.
He knows exactly what to do. After all, He’s the expert!
With God’s help, we can replace our hurt with healing and then our hearts will be filled with the best solution!
God wants to heal your broken heart! If we surrender to Him instead of trying to fix ourselves, He will “turn our fr4owns upside down!” Click here to listen or watch the Elevate the Day Podcast episode, “”When Your Heart Has Been Broken,” and begin the healing process.