Soul Healing

October 5, 2022

We had the privilege of having Dr. Tammy Smith, author of Soul Healing, with us at NewPointe recently. She shared such profoundly helpful thoughts, I wanted to pass some along to you.

GOD’S DESIRE FOR US

If you have a good understanding of the gospel—the Good News of Jesus Christ—you know that Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection purchased purpose, power, peace, victory, freedom, hope, and help. Yet most people in their most honest moments would say, “I am not fully living in that.” If that is true, then we must begin to assess the nature of our damage by looking more closely at what is going on around us and in us.

God’s plan is to dispense His love on earth in and through you and me. That means we are called to be really good at relationships. No one should be better at relationships than a Christ follower—we should be contagious!

That is why Jesus said, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another just as I have loved you. By this all will know that you are my followers.” John 13:34-35

Philippians 2:5 says, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” God is most glorified in relationships (1 John 4:11-12). Jesus says if we love Him, we’ll want to pour His kind of love out to others.

HOWEVER, WE ARE IN A BATTLE

We have to see clearly that our battle is against evil. Self-protection, distrust, bitterness, and judgement are opposite of the life of Christ. But when we have been wounded, these characteristics become our way of life and we become more committed to staying safe than living God’s way. The diabolical plan is to so injure and wound us that we become out of commission for the great and unique purpose for which God made us. We must be wise about how we are wounded or God’s work in our lives will be obscured.

OUR WOUNDEDNESS

It is important to identify our pain. Unexamined pain will rule us. God’s free reign and purposes for us cannot rule if we have let our pain govern us.

SATAN’S ACCUSATIONS MUST BE RECOGNIZED AND DEFEATED

“You never get better.”

“What make you think you can pray after doing that?”

“You think God will forgive you for that??”

“If anyone really knew you, they would reject you and throw you out.”

“You will never succeed—they don’t even like you.”

“There is no use trying.”

Unless I know that something is coming against me and how it is coming, I will have difficulty resisting. We have to be committed to self-awareness, vigilantly inspecting our souls for agreement with these hellish accusations. Don’t let festering hurt or ignored injury stay.

Being on this earth means we get wounded, and the damage particularly affects our relationships. The very relationship that has the most powerful potential to testify of Christ’s love as we encourage one another, serve another, and forgive one another is the most likely to be attacked.

OUR WOUNDS ARE OF TWO DIFFERENT KINDS:

WOUNDS OF COMMISSION

Wounds of commission are direct hits. These wounds are injuries. It’s an act that damages or hurts you as a person. It is literally a wrong or injustice done or suffered, harm and damage done to you, or a violation of your rights.

The specific harm from the wound of commission is the lie that takes root and grows within us if left untouched. Wounds of commission often show up in burn out, depression, inability to imagine yourself being confident or healthy like other people you know. You may reject any positive feedback given to you. You might be struggling from wounds of commission if you have been exposed to God’s truth again and again. You appreciate it, enjoy it, and can repeat it, yet you still don’t get it.

The primary damage from wounds of commission are deficits in critical relationships that cause distortion in other types of relationships God created us for us to enjoy and flourish in. Trusting is exceptionally difficult.

The foundational truth you must live by is that God loves you, and He has a plan for your life that is good.

WOUNDS OF OMISSION

These are things that have been omitted in your life—hurts you have because of negligence or ignorance or selfishness or woundedness of others. Something vital was left out, not provided, not given, just not done. As a result, we are left wanting, with our needs unmet and not provided for in some way.

Unconditional love is a fundamental emotional human need, necessary in all stages of life. It is the soil in which all other facets of personhood develop.

Wounds of omission often involve such deprivation in a basic level of love and attention that these attachment deficits result in a lack of connectedness in the person’s significant relationships. Assessment of our personal foundation in areas of attachment will provide many clues to our present-day struggle to experience intimacy with God. We look to people who have experienced intimacy with God more than us to fill us, and this hinders our relationship with God and even those people.

We would be wise to examine our level of displeasure with the significant relationships we have. Widespread disappointment or dissatisfaction with several people indicates a problem exists in us. Discontentment is a huge key that we have deep wounds of omission.

If your relationships seem deficient in some way, you could be living out the scars of previous wounds of omission. It is dangerous. We can unintentionally place unmeetable expectations on the people we love and appreciate the most and then sabotage the relationship. Over-reacting to situations, struggling with being discontent and dissatisfied are signs of wounds of omission.

OUR HOPE FOR HEALING

“Let us throw off everything that hinders and... Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of faith…” Hebrews 12:1-2

Pray deeply Psalm 139:23-24: “Search me and know me.” This gives God permission to show you specifics about yourself so you can begin healing.

Apart from knowing and experiencing a growing relationship with Jesus Christ you will never experience complete healing and wholeness.

SAVE THE DATE: November 2 at 7 p.m., Dr. Tammy Smith will be at all of our campuses.