Healing What Still Hurts

I had to have a moment of honesty during one of my waiting seasons.

I had to admit that I wasn't nearly as healed as I thought I was.

I had been going through life like a healthy person, convincing myself I was moving on when, in reality, I was just functioning. There were wounds I simply refused to give to God. I swept them under the rug because facing them felt harder than carrying them.

Maybe you've done that too.

The truth is, pretending we're healed works—until it doesn't.

Psalm 147:3 (KJV) tells us, "He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds." It's a beautiful promise, but if I'm honest, there was a time when I didn't fully believe it. Somewhere along the way I convinced myself that certain hurts were simply part of my story and that healing wasn't possible.

But imagine breaking a bone and refusing treatment.

You might still be able to walk. Eventually it might even heal. But if it heals incorrectly, you'll spend the rest of your life compensating for a limp that never had to be there.

Emotional and spiritual wounds work the same way.

When we refuse to bring our hurts to God, we may learn how to function, but we never become whole.

Jeremiah warns against healing deep wounds superficially. Peace cannot come from simply covering pain. Proverbs reminds us that what we hide cannot prosper. Healing begins when we acknowledge what hurts and surrender it to God.

That's easier said than done.

Sometimes we're holding on to betrayal. Sometimes it's shame. Sometimes it's loss or disappointment. Sometimes we've carried a wound for so long that we've mistaken it for part of our identity.

But God never intended for your pain to define you.

Unhealed wounds have a way of growing roots. Hebrews warns us about bitterness springing up and causing trouble. What we ignore doesn't disappear—it quietly shapes our attitudes, our relationships, and even our view of God.

The good news is that God's healing is a process.

It often begins with surrender. We release what we've been carrying, and almost immediately we feel lighter. Then comes patience, because healing isn't always instantaneous. Some wounds require us to trust God one step at a time.

Along the way, He gives us wise counsel through godly people, comforts us during the difficult moments, and continually reminds us that hope is never lost. God's presence doesn't disappear while we're healing. If anything, it becomes more evident.

Don't magnify your wound until it seems bigger than God's ability to heal it.

Ask yourself: Is there a hurt I've been carrying instead of surrendering?

Give it to God.

Be patient with His process.

Receive His comfort.

Hold on to hope.

And let God heal what still hurts.

~ Selah