Does your emotional heart – your spiritual heart ever hurt? Or maybe it doesn’t just hurt; it’s been crushed? There could be countless reasons for it hurting (And we’ll look at those reasons in another post) but what can YOU DO about it now. Here are 8 things YOU CAN DO for your hurting heart.
Talk
Take some time as soon as possible to talk to some TRUSTED friends; friends who are a little bit distant from the situation that has caused you some heartache. Here’s why; with a trusted friend you can be real, you can be honest and you can expect acceptance in return. A friend that is distant from the situation will then be able to listen with compassion for you; yet, they will not ADD to the toxic attitude that is building up inside your emotional heart.
Pray
Tell God exactly how you feel. Don’t hold back – CRY out to Him. Consider the Psalms of the Bible, that is exactly what David did – he cried out to God in prayer and told God how he was feeling, how he felt alone and sad.
Read
Read God’s Word – The Bible. Specifically the book of Psalms or Proverbs. Read large passages or just take one or two verses and meditate on the truth in the words.
Journal
Document your thoughts, prayers, discussions with others, and your Bible reading. This will help you to organize your thoughts and SEE if there are any patterns in your life or issues you need to continue to work through. What you write might not be pretty, but get those thoughts out!
Exercise
Burn some energy! There is a story in the Old Testament that I never really thought about (as it relates to exercise) but I can see the comparison now. The story is found in 1 Kings 18-19; it’s the story of Elijah battling the 300 prophets of Baal, then RUNNING ahead of Ahab (his king – who was on a chariot) and then running (fleeing) from Ahab’s wife, Jezebel, who wanted to kill him. Here’s an excerpt from the passage:
1 Kings 19:1-6 (NLT)
When Ahab got home, he told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, including the way he had killed all the prophets of Baal. So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: “May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.” Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there. Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.” Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!” He looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again.
Has your heart ever hurt so bad that you just cannot sleep – then go burn some energy! Run, Walk, do Push-ups, and Sit-ups. And this brings us to our next item…
Avoid
Avoid drugs, alcohol, and other binge behaviors. It will do you no good and it will only exasperate the issue at hand.
Wait
Wait and be patient for God to work on your heart and possibly the hearts of others.
Speak
If your hurting heart issue is related to a relationship, then you will need to speak to that person. Be Honest and Truthful with your words. Express what is going on and how you feel. And above all, speak the truth with love.
I heard a song a few months back about how to use our words, and being honest with our words with others. The song is Brave, by Sara Bareilles, here’s the chorus:
Say what you wanna say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be braveWith what you want to say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be braveAnd since your history of silence
Won’t do you any good,
Did you think it would?
Let your words be anything but empty
Why don’t you tell them the truth?
I hope today’s post gave you some help and some hope for your heart if it is emotionally hurt. If you want someone to pray for you please send me a direct message, I’d love to pray for your specific need.
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