Will you choose healing or regret?

Jul 5, 2010Find joy today, Heal from the past

I’ve been thinking a lot about healing lately, particularly since I’ll be teaching about it the next six weeks at church. I’m living proof of two things:

  1. That God can utterly transform a life.
  2. That you have to want to be transformed.

Jesus asked the paralytic, “Do you want to get well?” Notice that the man, lame and crippled, didn’t answer the question. And yet, even in that frail state of not knowing what to say to such a question, Jesus reached out his hand to the man and restored him. This man was waiting for years for healing at the pool, only to meet the Living Water and be healed.

My question to you: How have you placed yourself near Jesus? How have you sought healing? I’m convinced that often the difference between those who are emotionally healed from the past and those who are enslaved by the past is this: tenacious pursuit of healing.

Your past will either haunt you or it will break you enough to reach for rescue. Which will you choose? Haunting? Repeating the same sins that were done to you? Or will you be one who says, “Enough!” Will you chase instead after Jesus, the Author and source of all healing?

2 Corinthians 7:10 has some interesting things to say for those who are haunted by difficulties and pain. “Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets, end up on a deathbed of regrets.”

The truth? We all have distress from yesterday. The question becomes will you let it drive you to God or from God? He is able to transform your heart. He is. I’m living proof. He can salve the bitterness, slake the fear, give you a heart of compassion and forgiveness. But you have to choose. Actively choose. Running from God will only lead to a lifetime of bad choices and deep regret.

Which will you choose?

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