New Year's Resolution: Spiritual And Emotional Balance

  I realized there are two components to true healing. If you lack one, serious consequences and repercussions will be the result. The two kinds of healing are emotional and spiritual maturity. What are the differences? Someone may spend hours in counseling, addressing the past, the wounds, and received managing and coping strategies, but still be afraid. That is from where the spiritual component comes. One can see a problem, but not have the power to forgive, release, and be a whole confident individual, free of fear. One lives behind walls in order to protect one's self. The fear has bound the person.  He knows that Jesus said that He came that he might have life, and life more abundant. But, he experiences none of it. He knows that perfect love casts out fear, but he still leaves bound, trying to protect himself.

Then there is the spiritual person. That individual knows the Word of God. He is acquainted with prayer and fasting. To be sure that discipline, if added to seeking healing, would be the perfect combination, but they often are not. These spiritual disciplines are often practiced in isolation. This individual is one likely to dismiss any brokenness and claim the blood of Jesus has washed all pain away though he has spent no time hearing God’s voice directly on that issue.

Now, put the two together. For instance, this same person is quietly seeking God’s face, and God reveals that there is an issue: for instance, a person he needs to forgive, and perhaps, the key to the forgiveness is he also receiving healing for the event. The order typically happens in this way: Jesus walks the individual back to the event so that He relives the feelings (this reliving of the pain is the number  one reason why individuals don’t want to go back; it is easier to say the blood of Jesus covered it instead of walking back into the situation and facing the pain). So, the individual and Jesus spend time in the Secret Place; they talk frankly and candidly about what occurred. Now, the individual knows exactly what he is forgiving; the price that has to be paid for the pain that was inflicted or perhaps, he learns that he has misconstrued the event all together and been in pain needlessly.

No matter. The individual experiences the honest emotions of grief and anger. He wants to know who will pay this debt. Then, Jesus reveals his scarred hands, ands says that He already his paid it. This truth allows the individual to forgive the offender; thus, closing the cycle. The spiritual and emotional are no longer disconnected. He no longer tries to smother, push down what he considers are negative emotions- emotions which are not negative at all, but God’s attempt to get his attention that something is broken and needs to be addressed.

I pray that God will bring a greater sense of peace through His love and healing in our lives this year. For there is no fear in love. But, perfect love drives out fear. (I John 4:18).
Progressing, though Imperfectly,
MJ