We are a spirit, we have a soul, and live in a body. Our spirit is reborn, but the soul carries past wounds that need to be removed and washed clean in the Word of God.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Our sub-conscience, often referred to as “a gut feeling” or “still small voice,” is our spirit-man. God does not usually speak to us audibly. He uses our spirit to convey His thoughts to our heart which never contradicts the Word of God.
Luke 6:45-46 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. 46 “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?”
Our soul is immature even after giving our life to Christ. Our emotions aren’t always trustworthy guides. Sometimes, we react to situations or people with anger, sadness, or feeling defeated. Those are the emotions of our hearts. But, are they appropriate? Perhaps, we are feeling those things because of old wounds or unhealed memories?
Ephesians 5:26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her (the Church) with the washing of water by the Word,
The soul needs healing of Soul Wounds. We have wounds in our thinking and destructive emotional reactions because of our past sins, other people’s sins against us, or because of things passed down in our families.
Proverbs 14:30 A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones. (NLT)
We get healing in our mind, will, and emotions by the Word of God (studying and meditating on the Bible) and by the work of the Holy Spirit in us. Prayer and growing trust in God will bring that healing.
Psalm 23”1-3a “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul;” (restores = Heb = to repair, refurbish, renovate, or recondition)
We have a promise from the Lord that He will restore our mind, will, and emotions. But how does that happen? What is our involvement in the whole matter? How do we receive healing and restoration in our thoughts and memories of past pains, traumas, and abuses?
The first step in receiving healing of a soul wound is in recognizing that you have one.
Anyone who has experienced abuse, trauma, hurt, rejection, abandonment, pain, or betrayal, their soul can become wounded. Too often, we overlook these wounds. People question when we are going to move on emotionally, mentally, or spiritually. “Moving on” without dealing with these wounds can add more damages to our souls, and often, we hide our pain deep inside.
We put all our wounds in a box in our hearts and lock them up for no one to see. We mask our faces to show that all is well. We deceive ourselves into thinking it’s over, but the truth is our wounds are still there deep within us.
When we have soul wounds, the full connection we are intended to have with God becomes damaged. This isn’t a salvation issue, but a growing in Christ issue we have when we are wounded. God’s plan for each of us is to have a healthy relationship with Him.
However, we struggle emotionally, mentally, and spiritually when we have soul wounds.
A Wounded Mind: Our thought process becomes distorted and we don’t see the situations in our lives through a clean filter. We react to our wrong thinking and this creates a vicious cycle of unhealthy thinking patterns and reactions.
A Wounded Will: This will cause a struggle with control and trust. Trusting God with our lives and allowing Him to work in us is challenging for one who has soul wounds. Giving up control becomes a regular battle within.
Wounded Emotions: We struggle to understand, discuss, work through, and face them. Our emotions tend to be a chaotic mess and we often react in unhealthy ways to life’s situations.
Here are just a few signs of having soul wounds:
Shame-led thoughts such as “I’m damaged goods.” Guilt over abuse. Difficulty with God’s grace and love. Feeling of unworthy of God’s love. Faulty core beliefs about yourself. Low self-esteem. Self-blame. Your identity is that of a victim. Distrust of self and your decisions.
Safety and security are broken. Trust issues with God and others. Anger towards God and others. Unforgiveness. Struggle in surrendering to God. Difficulty in relating to God. One’s concept of God damaged. Surrender of control to God is difficult. Disconnect from God and others.
Fear-led thoughts. Fearful of life and/or death or the “What if…?” Frozen emotions. Helplessness. Chaotic life. Difficulty discerning will of God. Distant from God. Emotion-driven instead of God-led. Struggle with loss of control. Worry and anxiety driven. Reactive emotionally.
Jeremiah 30:17a For I will restore health to you And heal you of your wounds,’ says the LORD,
