I admit it – I love British TV shows, particularly British mysteries!  I can’t defend my interest, and the only explanation I can come up with is my family heritage.  Not an excuse, it is just to let you know I am not gramma Spiritual all of the time.  A comment made on a program I was watching recently piqued my thoughts about a spiritual reality, though.

A “religious” figure made the comment to a young woman who was about to leave an abusive environment, something to the effect of, “You may think you are escaping this place but I will always be in your head!”  Even though the woman left the institution, the words and the abuse continued to affect her life through old age.  As I have been thinking about this statement, I recognize that reality is true for many people, whether the abuse is physical, emotional, sexual, verbal, or religious (and not necessarily limited to these).  We tend to carry the messages of abuse and loss subconsciously our whole lives—and they have a propensity to undermine our identities and our value as human beings, created by God with a divine calling and purpose. 

The apostle Paul’s encouragement to the believers at Ephesus echoes through the ages and in our hearts today, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).  And to Timothy he wrote, “…God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began” (2 Timothy 1:9).

When satan approached Jesus in the wilderness, he began his line of seduction with the phrase, “If you are the Son of God…” seeking to undermine his identity—and he continues to use similar tactics with God’s children today.  However, Peter gives a detailed description of our identities and purpose as the people of God:  “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.  Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Peter 2:9, 10).

I have learned that, just as the more acute physical wounds or illnesses take a longer time and often a more involved process to heal, the same can be true for emotional and spiritual wounds.  “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion…” (Philippians 1:6) and “speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ…” (Ephesians 4:15) imply process, though often we are aggravated with some of our own weaknesses—even more often we are impatient with the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of others!

Suffering, both the suffering of others and our own, makes us uncomfortable, we want to “get over it”, and we expect people to “move-on” with their lives.  Yet the journey towards restoration is not always a quick and easy one.  We have the Savior’s assurance He came to “bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captive, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound”, to give to those in mourning “a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, [and] the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit” (Isaiah 62:1, 3)—the journey towards wholeness is one taken by steps and sometimes getting out of bed in the morning and getting dressed is a step of faith.  Picking up your Bible and reading it is a huge step of faith; going to church when you would rather stay home and stay isolated is also a step of faith.  Trusting God in the midst of tears and praising Him when it just does not make sense are steps of faith because it means you believe what He promises—no matter the pain in your heart.

I think of Peter’s release after Herod imprisoned him—he was set free from his chains, the prison doors were opened, and he was well away from the jail before he woke up and realized that he was actually free; a number of his friends and acquaintances were also not so quick to recognize that he was released (Acts 12).  Sometimes things work the same way in the spiritual realm.  It takes a bit of time, walking and living in the power of the Holy Spirit to recognize that we really are free from the chains and the wounds that bound us; it takes our friends and acquaintances even longer to see the changes God is making in our lives.  One of the strongest keys to releasing us from bondage originating from life’s abuses is forgiveness.

For a few, holding onto an attitude of woundedness has a toxic reward, but for those who long for freedom from the ravages of sin and satan, Jesus promises, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  He goes on to proclaim, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!” (John 8:32, 36).

“For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’  The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him” (Romans 8:15-17).

This journey of faith is rarely easy, but it is a good one because our Father, our God, the Creator of heaven and earth is good and He loves us!

“Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;

Save me, and I shall be saved,

For you are my praise!”

Jeremiah 17:14