By Kevin “Mac” McClure
Do you have anything going on inside of you that you’d describe as hostility? Perhaps you wouldn’t characterize what you feel in such a strong term. How about resentment? Do you feel that? Do you ever feel aggression toward someone who has hurt you?
Verbalize the emotional pain you feel. Try not to edit or soften what you say. God has big shoulders and wants you to be able to “cast your care upon” Him (1 Peter 5:7). You can’t do that if you don’t say exactly what is bothering you. The passage in Peter which tells us to cast our care upon the Lord tells us why we can do that. It adds, “...because He cares for you.”
It’s one thing to have a theology that God cares. It’s quite another when that theology becomes an experience. When that happens you develop a conviction. Then you have a testimony. That can become your reality only when you invite God into what is burdening you.
God has not promised us a life without trouble (See John 16:33; Matthew 6:34). He has promised to be with us in trouble (See Isaiah 43:2; Hebrews 13:5) and to see us safely through to the end (See Jude 24).
Your mind will be fettered by every trouble which you do not invite God into. If you want a mind that becomes a place of relative peace, it’s essential that you regularly talk to God about the things that burden you. What hurts? Tell Him about it. What makes you afraid? Tell Him. What makes you sad or mad? Tell Him.
If you have been deeply wounded in a relationship and are still affected by the pain, don’t “fake fine” (as Esther Fleece puts it in her book No More Faking Fine, a book I strongly recommend). Plan a time to be alone with God. Do not permit interruptions. Turn off the phone. Talk to God in detail about your pain. If it helps, journal your thoughts. Feel free to ask God where He was when you faced your greatest suffering. Invite Him to persuade you that He wants to heal you. This will be a beginning step in the process of healing.