A Powerful Tool of Help When Feeling Emotionally Hurt!

Fresh Manna
by Pastor Tim Burt

Most people, at one time or another, have experienced overwhelming hurt, anger, and pain at the hands of another person. When this happens, so much emotional resentment can be built up that you feel almost numb. You can’t think. You don’t feel like doing anything. You want to shut your eyes and escape. Because of this, many escape through drugs, alcohol, or a favorite vice. I pray that none of you are in this state of mind and heart today, but it’s likely that you have experienced this and are likely to do so again. Why would I say that? Because the world is saturated with hurt people, and in case you haven’t noticed, hurt people hurt people! (People who are hurting most often injure others!

So what can we do at times like this? What should we do when we feel so overwhelmed and hurt that we can’t focus or think straight? I’ll suggest, at the risk that you might think it overly simplistic, practicing the art of distraction.

You know how little kids are. They get upset quickly and over the most ridiculous things. Children get upset, scream, and cry, and it can be challenging to get under control. When our children were small, my father-in-law was the master of distraction when my kids got this way. He drew their attention to something else long enough to forget what they were upset about. It worked, and it was amazing!

When a person is struggling or feels overwhelmed, the negative thoughts in their mind are recycled, only making matters worse. If you keep your mind on those negative thoughts, you will stay in that smothered state of mind. If you become distracted, your thoughts have time to move elsewhere, and you can begin to find light and your way of escape.

You can probably remember a time when you were mad at someone, when the telephone rang, or somebody walked in on you and interrupted the moment. Because you didn’t want them to see you angry, you quickly put on a fake face and had a normal conversation, even talking and laughing with them. It probably distracted you enough to forget what was previously bothering you. When they left, you may have gone back and continued to be mad, but if you did, it was only because you’d decided to be, and it wasn’t close to the level of anger before the distraction.

There is another distraction I would call a godly distraction. It’s my favorite, and it works every time! It’s called spending time in the Word of God. It might seem like the last thing you’d want to do when feeling like this, but it can be your answer. Let me explain.

At first, you might read for a while and catch yourself thinking about everything but what you are trying to read. At that point, what you are reading is doing no good. It’s not penetrating. Your mind is still elsewhere. But if you ask God to help you focus on what you read, He will help you! As you begin to see, hear, and think about the words you are reading (reading aloud helps), His Word can get through to you and take your heart to a better place.

On this Spirit-led journey, you may stumble across a scripture like Proverbs 20:9 NIV that says, “Who can say, ‘I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin?'” That verse may speak to your heart, and soon you’ll hear the Holy Spirit say, You’ve blown it too, so why don’t you cut them some slack? You may stumble across other scriptures that begin to talk to your heart and soften your anxiety. You begin to experience a refreshing of mercy, grace, forgiveness, and instruction for what to do.

Then you may drift to another scripture like Isaiah 55:6-7 NIV that jars you, saying, “Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him, and to our God, for He will freely pardon.” At that point, you know that God is speaking to your heart.

Have you ever tried to fly a kite when there was no wind? You run and run, trying to get it to go up and stay up in the air. As soon as you stop running, it crashes to the ground. That happens when we try to resolve negative feelings and circumstances ourselves. We are trying to fly a kite with no wind.

We all have things happen that try to overwhelm us, and those feelings can be suffocating, but God’s Word can pull us out. In a world that is always telling you to be focused (which is a good thing), instead, learn the art of distraction in these times of offense and hurt. Let God’s word distract you from those feelings and instead complete its work of calming you, giving you direction, building your faith, and helping you to move forward in peace. Let God’s Word do what it was meant to do in your life. Pray first, asking Him to speak to you and then be helped and refreshed as He ministers to your heart! Amen!

Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV) “For the word of God is living and powerful…”

In His love,
Pastor Tim Burt

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