This is Us is a TV
drama that tells the story of the Pearson family. Kevin, Kate, and Randall are
each successful adults who deal with issues to which many Americans relate. In the
skillfully written drama, the past is interwoven with the present, giving us a
look at the backdrop of decisions and feelings. This week’s episode was an
emotional one. The family gathers at Kevin’s rehab for a session that gets
intense, where old resentments and hurts come alive, with anger and tears. Well written and beautifully acted, it was a moving
hour of drama! (For this pastor, the one missing element of the show is faith.
God is not present, sadly.) I believe it
is fair to say that we all have our wounds, hurts that we carry around. One reason
This is Us is so popular is that the
writers hook into real and familiar situations. Some us are carrying terrible
pain from abuse, abandonment, and/or cruelty. Some of know the ache of being
part of an imperfect humanity; slights, insults, missed expectations, and
oversights.
Hurting hearts and wounded souls are real in us and the pain
plays some part in how we relate to others today.
Can we heal?
Is there relief from the pain?
Jesus is the healer
of broken hearts. He forgives our sin, loves us completely, and sets us
free from slavery to regret and sin- ours and those who sin against us. When He
announced His mission, He quoted words from Isaiah that are full of promise. "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is
upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has
sent me to comfort the brokenhearted
and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He
has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come,
and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies. To all who mourn in
Israel, he will give a crown of beauty
for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of
despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has
planted for his own glory." (Isaiah 61:1-3, NLT)
But, before we are too quick to conclude that a single prayer
will heal us, consider this. Healing of the wounds of the heart is much like
healing of a wound in our body. It takes care. It requires time. And, we will
always carry a scar.
The Gospel is sometimes presented in a way that makes it
seem that one quick prayer magically wipes out years of pain or regret. It is
true that the Cross of Christ is completely sufficient. We are made right with
God – completely – by faith. We gain an
unshakeable assurance of eternal life, a gift that is provided fully by His death
and resurrection. Our healing, however, is a process.
Want to start to heal? Prepare yourself to get honest, to
rip the bandages off of the wound. Sound
painful? It is! It may require the help
of a skilled counselor, a Pastor, or a patient friend to re-visit some awful,
infected place in the heart. But, unless
we are willing to touch it, to open it, to talk about it – it will just fester.
There will be actions required. Our wounded hearts develop defenses and coping
mechanisms, not always the best or healthy ones, either. Becoming willing to
set aside resentment, to change those things, to forgive – is never easy. But, we can, and with the help of the Spirit,
our hurts can heal.
The value and power of forgiveness cannot be overstated.
Jesus taught us to pray "Forgive us
our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. " (Luke
11:4, NIV) He reminds us that our own
reconciliation to God requires our willingness to forgive others. Even on the
Cross, He showed the way when He cried, “Father,
forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” So what does that kind of forgiveness
look like? We are not asked to forget the
offense or to pretend it does not matter. Real forgiveness starts with faith in
God’s justice, the sure knowledge that He will settle all accounts. Assured of
this, we release those who have wounded us to Him, handing off whatever debt we
think is owed to us to Him. And, we can then start to heal. Believe that, friend, for it is God’s way.
The paradox of healing for the Christian is that as we learn
more of our Father’s heart towards us, as we become more deeply aware of His
holiness and purity, our own sins become more clear to us! But, instead of shrinking into shame, enveloped
in guilt, we also learn of the grace and love of Jesus. That love, amazing,
persistent, free, and complete, fills in the holes in our heart; we become
whole. And, forgiven and loved, we learn to forgive and love! "With
the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who
enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a
continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of
life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing
you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.
" (Romans 8:1-2, The Message) "Obsession with self in these matters is a
dead end; attention to God leads us out
into the open, into a spacious, free life." (Romans 8:6, The
Message)
Do old wounds still hurt? Is the way you live today too
often shaped by pain from yesterday? There is healing. Oh yes, there will
always be scars. When I was 9, I crashed through a glass door, slicing my wrist
deeply, creating a bloody wound. A half century later the marks in my skin
remain to remind me of that frightening moment, but the pain is long gone.
Here is a word from the Word. Find healing and grace. "Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms
and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be
disabled, but rather healed. Make every effort to live in peace with all men
and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no
one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble
and defile many." (Hebrews 12:12-15, NIV)
_________________
Healer Of Broken
Hearts
Is your life full of
heartaches and sadness?
Are your dreams all
shattered and torn?
There is One who through
mercy and suff'ring
For you ev'ry sorrow
has borne.
He's the healer of
broken hearts,
He'll mend your
shattered dreams.
He'll pick up the
threads
Of your broken life,
And weave them
together again.
To your soul He'll
bring peace and joy,
A Friend in need He'll
He'll be!
The Healer of broken
hearts
Is Jesus of Galilee.
Georgia Stiffler
© 1945. Renewed 1972 Fred Bock Music Company (Admin. by Fred
Bock Music Company, Inc.)
CCLI License # 810055
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