Beauty MarksSample

Identifying Wounds in Need of Healing

Like physical wounds, emotional wounds have symptoms. If you’ve been ignoring the signs or growing numb to your own pain, I’d like to share some tools to diagnose a soul wound. This is an opportunity for you to courageously identify what hurts. Pain isn’t your enemy. It’s your ally in finding the real problem.

Invite God to guide the process by praying these words:

Dear heavenly Father, please bring to my attention any wounds from my past or present that You are ready to start healing. Protect my heart and mind with the power of Your Holy Spirit as You guide me with Your gentle hand. Fill every broken place in my heart with Your truth. I trust You to heal me. In Jesus’s name, amen.

Trusting God to guide you, look for clues that may signal unresolved wounds. I know this can be rough, but I promise, the good is coming. Here are ten symptoms that can help you identify wounds that need healing in your life:

1. You avoid specific places.
2. You avoid certain people.
3. You have made a silent inner vow.
4. You suffer from emotional triggers
5. You engage in addictive behaviors or have an unhealthy attachment.
6. You wound others.
7. You experience ongoing, unresolved grief.
8. Your thoughts bully you.
9. You have a secret you’ve never told anyone.
10. You struggle to verbalize your hurt.

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, you may be suffering from unresolved wounds from your past. Take a moment to grab a journal and list the symptoms you’ve noticed and prayerfully consider what might have caused the wounds you carry today. In the book Beauty Marks, there is a study guide provided where, you’ll be able to dig in to identify your symptoms and their causes.

Good Physician: Tell Jesus about your suffering and watch what He does with your wound. Begin and end your prayer by speaking hope aloud:

He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces.…
Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering. (Isa. 53:3–4)

Care: Now it’s time to tell a safe person you trust about your wound, such as a pastor, mentor, counselor, or close friend. Whom could you tell? Ask that person to pray with you.

It’s possible to be wounded even if others don’t recognize your hurt. Deep down, you know it. You didn’t need this book to dig it up.

Pause for a moment.

Now picture Jesus Himself holding your face in both of His nail scarred hands and looking directly into your eyes. Hear Him say to you, “I love you. I see you. I hear your cries. I remember you. I will take on your pain. I will heal you.”

Let those words soak into your soul!

Did you enjoy this reading plan? You can learn more about Beauty Marks and sign up to get more free resources from David C Cook here.