In this sermon Pastor Tony Shirley preaches on spiritual and emotional wounds.
The Reason for the Wound– Sometimes they come from someone who should not have been an enemy. They could come from:
- A parent wounding a child through poor parenting
- A child wounding his parents by disobeying
- Something your spouse said
- A spiritual leader messing up
- Good friends being deceptive
Usually, the wounds made by someone who you should not have wounded you are made because of either the love money or friendly fire. Your friends may not have meant to hurt you. Often, they don’t even know they hurt you.
The Reality of the Wound – If a wound doesn’t kill you, it leaves a scar. Don’t leave a wounded man by himself- tell him if you pray for him. When you help the wounded, it does not mean that you agree with what they possibly did or said to get this way.
Your Reaction to the Wound– When you are able to say “I know how you feel,” and you really mean it because you have had the same wound before, it means a lot to the wounded and you can help them heal.
Paul’s Powerful Reaction- After being stoned and supposed to be dead, Paul he rose up because he refused to stay down, didn’t magnify the wounding, instead just went forward, taught the gospel to the city, and exhorted others to continue in the faith as he did.
Don’t wallow in your wound and show it off to everyone:
- It distracts others in the battle.
- The wounds will take over your life.
- Those who get up, most often go on. If it takes control of your life, you will likely die because of it.
In summary:
Be careful to not wound someone.
If you do, then apologize and help bear their pain by praying with them. Be aware of others around you.
Don’t wallow in it; don’t let it dominate your thinking.