Healing Spiritual Scars
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he or she is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Healing is central to creation and evolution. Look at our skin. Our epidermis turns over every 40 to 56 days. The process of exfoliation occurs naturally. Yet, scars and other marks on our skin do not disappear because the damaged part of our skin cannot heal as quickly as healthy skin. If you lead an unhealthy life, your skin will not heal well. Skin’s recovery process is affected by how well we care for ourselves and our decisions. Similarly, we can affect our physical, emotional, and spiritual health through the decisions we make.
A relationship with God was not intended to create limitations on our happiness but to bring life, healing, and wholeness to our lives. Nyerovwo Kohwo, in her article, “What Does Healing Look Like?” astutely points out that humans are relatively good at recognizing love. We can even feel when we are living in a moment of happiness. What we are not good at identifying, according to Kohwo, is “what healing looks like.” Humans are often confused about how healing takes place because we try to avoid admitting we’re hurt. With physical pain, it is often hard to ignore. You break your arm; you cannot function before it is reset and placed in a cast for healing. Emotional and spiritual scars are easier to ignore.
When we recognize our role in healing, we must develop the courage to stop ignoring our pain. We go to the ER with a broken arm. When we address our emotional pain, we make an appointment with a therapist or a psychiatrist. Spiritual pain is harder to recognize and more difficult to manage. Pastors cannot give someone a pill for a spiritual ailment. We can listen, offer advice, and provide care. Yet, most spiritual repair takes place through a long evolutionary healing process.
Prayer or worship isn’t like a pill. You take it, which immediately relieves your discomfort for six to eight hours. Instead, spiritual healing is more like spiritual exfoliation, stripping away the dead pain of despair, grief, and cynicism. We can become bitter over spiritual pain because there is rarely immediate relief. Yet, God is good, and in sharing with the divine One, our pain evolves and heals. We can improve our healing by continuing to remain close to God. Worship, prayer, and caring for others help heal the spiritual scars with fewer permanent wounds. Remember God’s promise, “I make all things new!”
You can read Nyerovwo Kohwo's article here: https://nyerovwokohwo.medium.com