Lord, I Hurt!

by Victoria Gaines
Published November 27, 2006

“For I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds, says the Lord.” ~ Jeremiah 30:17

“I just feel worthless, like—what’s the use?” Deidre said to me, wiping a tear. Her story echoed all the heartache I’d felt a hundred times in my own life. Utter disappointment, rejection, feelings of inadequacy. Pat answers and cliches never help, so I offered none. Instead, I listened, shared something God had helped me with, then prayed with her.

Many women express the need to be free from mental and emotional torment. “Your mind and emotions, like your physical body, need to be freed from stress, fed properly, exercised, cleansed, nurtured, retrained, exposed to freshness and light, and given rest,” says Stormie Omartian.

This woman knows. Stormie was raised by a mentally ill mother who kept her locked in a closet much of her childhood. Her mother would yell, “You’re worthless and you’ll never amount to anything!” then slam the closet door, abandoning her for hours until her father came home. She grew up with emotional pain, paralyzing fear, and feelings of hopelessness. Seeking relief, she wandered into occult practices, psychotherapy, unhealthy relationships, drugs and alcohol. Nothing helped her escape the chronic emotional torture. By twenty-eight, she was suicidal.

But God healed Stormie. In her book, Lord, I Want to be Whole, Stormie dedicates her writing to “to all who suffer with any kind of emotional pain or the frustration of unfulfillment.” This precious woman is not a professional counselor, pastor, or psychiatrist—but a person who once lived with debilitating depression, fear, hopelessness, suicidal thoughts, and deep emotional pain. How did she overcome all this? For the longer version, you’ll have to read the book. In a nutshell, here are Stormie’s steps to recovering emotional health:

• Release the past.
• Live in obedience to God.
• Find deliverance (recognize & resist your real enemy).
• Seek total restoration (don’t settle for less).
• Receive the gifts God’s given you.
• Reject the common pitfalls.
• Stand strong when difficulties come.

Need more than a nutshell? Me, too. In the next couple articles, we’ll look at each biblical step in detail while I share what God has done in my own life. Remember, the journey from brokenness to wholeness doesn’t necessarily happen overnight. But living the truth has to become a way of life for us. These seven biblical guidelines generate life no matter what circumstances we’re facing. “Understanding them with your mind will influence the state of your heart, which will affect your emotions and ultimately your entire life,” Stormie writes. Maybe you’ve experienced some healing but need more. Or you feel like you’ve fallen back into emotional quicksand and need support while God pulls you out.

As we move toward emotional wholeness, let’s remember that it involves changing the way we think: “…be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). Let’s turn to the Lord and ask His Holy Spirit to shine the light of truth in our hearts, even if it’s uncomfortable, and let Him reveal the areas that have blocked our restoration. Healing doesn’t come magically in “steps,” or “keys”, but only through Jesus as we allow Him to penetrate our hearts with truth and healing.

The Lord wants us healthy and whole. Are you ready?

“…To comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion--to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” ~ Isaiah 61: 2-4, NIV

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