This past week a friend of mine celebrated her thirteenth wedding anniversary. Before going out for dinner to celebrate, her husband brought her to a couple of places you wouldn’t expect. He brought her to places where they had failed in their marriage and hurt one another. Together they renounced those things, including the words they wish had never been said. Neither of them knew how powerful it would be to confront those wounds and to officially close the door on them.
In my friend’s words, “Sometimes it’s not just enough to walk away from the hard parts of your past, you literally have to tell them goodbye.” If you have a wounded heart, here are several things our iSpecialist Greg Smalley suggests to do that will help bring healing and encouragement.
Identify the Wounds and Messages
We must identify the wounds and messages that have attacked our hearts. Use this list of key words to help you identify any lies that have been inscribed on your heart.
- Rejected
- Abandoned
- Disconnected
- Failure
- Powerless
- Inadequate
- Invalidated
- Unloved
- Undesirable
- Not Good Enough
- Worthless
- Judged
- Ignored
- Misunderstood
- Disrespected
This is deep, tough stuff, so here are a few recommendations you may find helpful when identifying what’s blocking your heart:
1. Don’t go it alone.
Pray. Ask God to help you.
2. Think back over your childhood.
Specifically recall any traumatic events, disappointments, or times you were hurt or scared. What were you feeling? Did you tell yourself anything? What message did you receive from the incident?
3. Recall a recent conflict with your spouse.
What were you feeling? Was it any of the feelings on the list?
4. Replace the message with the truth.
Just because you know the truth from the lie doesn’t mean the battle is over. God is the only one who can erase what has been etched on your heart. He will reveal His truth about you when you seek Him. You can do this by praying and reading His Word.
5. Nurture and care for your heart.
The wounded heart needs consistent attention and care—especially while your wounds are still healing.
Here are some ways you can nurture your heart:
- Maintain a close relationship with God.
- Memorize scripture so you can remember the truth about who you are!
- Learn how to identify when your heart is open or closed.
- Take notice of your feelings throughout the day and put a name to them.
- Validate your own feelings.
- Whenever you are feeling something get inquisitive. Ask, “I wonder why I’m feeling that way.”
- Find healthy ways to manage your emotions.
- Offer loving correction to someone when they offend or hurt you.
- Build healthy relationships with people who give you a safe place to open your heart.
- Become aware of your likes and dislikes.
- Laugh more.
- Accept compliments from others.
- Learn to set boundaries.
Tell us! What have been some ways you have experienced healing from your past wounds?
