As I travel city to city and nation to nation, I have discovered something true about everyone – we’ve all been hurt at different times in our lives. Some hurts are only on the surface and aren’t too bad; but other hurts go deep and leave scars in our minds that affect us for years.

Many times the people closest to us don’t even know what we’ve been through because we hide it so well.

I meet men and women each year that are held back in life (emotionally, relationally, even spiritually) today because of something that happened in the past. Sometimes it happened when they were a child, a teenager, or even just the previous year, and it has totally occupied their mind, their thoughts, their behavior and moods and it’s stopping them from moving on.

I’m writing this article for anyone who has (or knows someone who has) experienced rejection, been wounded emotionally, abused, abandoned – and although they’ve blocked it out – something still isn’t totally right in them. They want to move on, They want to get on with their life, but something always pulls them back.

We must recognize that our enemy, Satan, will use hurtful experiences to break our heart, to tear us down, to wipe us out and to steal our destiny!

I know because that’s my story.

I went through some very painful times of violation and abuse growing up and I hid every bit of it from my parents and those who loved me. I hid it behind a giant bandage of activities, a big smile, and accomplishments. Meanwhile, I felt like I was bleeding on the inside.

Voices in my head were screaming at me:

“You’re ugly”
“You’re worthless”
“You’re not pretty”
“You’re a piece of trash”
“You don’t matter”
“You’re not special”
“You’re gross”

And rather than get the healing I needed, I put a giant bandage over this internal wound and just covered it up. I wanted to pretend it never happened. But when you’re hurt inside – it’s eventually going to show up on the outside. 

Since I felt so bad about myself inside I had to do things on the outside to feel better about myself (at the time I didn’t know this was why I was doing it). I wanted to excel and wanted everyone to like me, but I didn’t want people to get close to me. I later discovered that I had developed a compulsive fear of rejection.

I just covered up the hurt with a bandage, but bandages don’t medicate or heal deep wounds. I think it’s funny how a child can get a small scrape on their knee and as soon as a bandage is applied the crying stops and they have instant relief! Too many times we try to do that with emotional injuries but it doesn’t work.

We receive so many letters and emails at our ministry from people who are controlled by hurts in their heart. For some, the physical injuries have healed but the hurts on the inside have not.

God wants to heal every hurt! In Jeremiah 30:17 He says, “For I will restore health to you and I will heal you of your wounds, says the Lord.” He wants to comfort, to restore life, and restore the years that Satan has stolen. He declares, “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, with lovingkindness I have drawn you. Again I will build you and you shall be rebuilt” (Jeremiah 31:3-4).

Years ago God led me through a personal journey of emotional healing. He showed me how to have victory and healing in this area, and I want everyone suffering from the hurt of the past to experience the same victory and healing too.

Jesus wants to heal you from the inside out. You may have things on the inside of you that have been eating away at you for years and YOU DO NOT WANT to talk about it, face it, deal with it, or treat it. You’d rather ignore it. But just because we ignore something doesn’t make it go away. I know because I tried that.

If you or someone you love is being controlled by hurts of the past, maybe you can identify some of the following symptoms of unresolved emotional hurts:

At times you have no real passion for anything.
The smallest tasks wear you out.
You lack vision, purpose and meaning to your life.
You wonder why you’re even here.
You feel like you’re in a rut or just existing.
You often start something, get bored, and never finish it.
You get excited about pursuing God and His plan only to find that passion gone in a couple days.

God wants you healed…from the inside out. You can’t fulfill your God-given assignment until you get mended and made whole. Our Heavenly Father wants you to wake up each day feeling light, not heavy and burdened down. He wants you to live with passion and enthusiasm, not dread and anxiety.

Isaiah 61:1 says, “He has sent me to heal the heartbroken…and comfort all who mourn…” Jesus came to set the captives free; Satan came to take the free captive! If there is a time you are physically sick and have to go to the doctor, you know that no one else can go for you. You can’t send your mom. You can’t send your pastor. You can’t send your spouse. YOU HAVE TO DO THIS FOR YOURSELF!

Think about when someone goes to see a doctor, the meeting is always in private. What am I saying? Get alone with God. He is the great Physician. In these private times with God, healing can take place on the inside and it will eventually show up on the outside.

Get comfortable being alone with God. You are in the safest possible place when you’re in His presence. God’s love is THE CURE for every wound in your life! And it’s solely up to you to receive it.

When a doctor prescribes medicine, he doesn’t go get it for you.
When a doctor prescribes medicine, he doesn’t buy it for you.
When a doctor prescribes medicine, he doesn’t make you take it.

It’s UP TO EACH PERSON to seek healing in their own life… physically AND spiritually. Some might say, “I’ve done this before! I’ve already turned to God, but I’m still wounded inside.” It’s not that they’re not doing the right thing – they’re just not doing it long enough to see change!

Jesus paid a tremendous price so we could be whole and enjoy an abundant life. God promises in His Word, “The righteous cry out and the Lord hears them. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).

Jesus can and will heal every hurt and I want to see hurting people experience the same healing that dramatically changed my life years ago.