Medicine Cabinet
What's good people?! Hope this post finds you all doing well! Carrying on with my guest bloggers, here we are with another guest post. I tell you. I just cannot stop acknowledging the people I'm surrounded by. Oprah said to surround yourself with people who are going to take you higher. Every time I've gotten a guest post, I'm encouraged and challenged to take my writing and perspective to a different level!
I'm so excited about this next post. This actually comes from Mrs. Rachel Washington. Rachel Washington is an advocate for her Father, Wife, U.S. Diplomat, Writer, One who honors family, and A believer that children can amaze you when given the proper tools. Rachel also blogs and you can enjoy her posts here . Rachel's personal mission is "To fulfill God's purpose and plans for my life by developing the gifts and talents He has given me and using them to help others, starting with my family." She's also the wife of Byron Washington, who has dropped a guest post for Simply Dondrae in the past. You can follow her on twitter @lovelyspirit22.
An offended heart is like a fresh wound. When a wound has just occurred, it hurts every time you touch it. Strangely, we always have this weird inclination to keep touching it, despite the fact that we know it will hurt. Likewise, once you have just been offended, your heart has this tinge of pain every time you think about the offense. When you’re not thinking about it, you’re fine; but as soon as it crosses your mind – there goes that pain again. And, regardless of the pain, we keep reflecting on it…just like that wound that we keep touching. But over time the wound heals and you can touch it repeatedly with no effect. Likewise, in time, we will be able to think about that offense and not feel hurt by it. Although some wounds take longer to heal than others, time really does heal our wounds – whether physical or emotional.
The thing that causes me to ponder when I have been hurt is, “What type of ointment does this wound need?” If I put alcohol on it, it will burn too much; but if I use peroxide, it will get just as clean with less pain. When you’ve been offended, do you stop to ask God what type of healing agent is needed? I’ve learned that there are at least four types of band-aids or ointments which are needed to help us heal.
Band-aid of Reconciliation – This is the band-aid that Jesus talks about in Matthew 18:15 when he says, “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.” This type of band-aid requires that you go and speak with the person who has offended you. Note – this does not say, “Go off” on the person who offended you. In other words, take the time to calm down before you blurt out all of those ungodly thoughts that just went through your head. I believe this is why God instructs us in James 1:19 to be slow to speak – He knows that if we speak quickly, it’s no telling what may come out.
Cocoa Butter of Forgiveness – This is a tough one. It requires that we forgive those who have wronged us instead of holding on to grudges, especially if the person has apologized for the offense. Without this cream, our wounds may heal, but they will leave an ugly scar until we truly forgive. Only by massaging in cocoa butter will the scar begin to disappear, leaving your skin as beautiful as it was before. Similarly, until we forgive, that offense will leave an ugly scar that will keep us from having the beautiful life of peace that God intended. Colossians 3:13 (NLT) – “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”
Gauze of Stillness – These are the type of wounds that you have to let breathe for a while because, if you say or do the wrong thing, you’ll just make it worse. Sometimes there is nothing you can do to make a situation better. The best solution here is to be quiet, pray, and trust that God is working behind the scenes to answer your prayers. This one is possibly more difficult than forgiveness, because we always feel like we have to do something in order to get results. If God is prompting you in your spirit to be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:16), then be still and let God do the mending.
Ointment of Apology – This one is interesting. Sometimes, in order for us to be healed, we have to initiate the apology. This last band-aid is one that we rarely think about after we have been hurt, at least I usually don’t. I recently received a sarcastic, and somewhat hurtful, comment from a friend. As I prayed about it – which I must admit was not my initial reaction – God revealed to me that perhaps I received the response I received because I unknowingly offended that person first. As I reflected on our last conversation, I saw several ways in which I may have offended my friend. Surprisingly, after I apologized, I felt a lot better.
The next time you find yourself wounded emotionally, take time to ask God what type of healing agent is needed.
