My heart sorrows over women I see who hold Jesus at a distance. I have seen some who receive salvation and yet determine to never let Jesus any closer to them than the cross. This used to confuse me. Why would someone come to know the salvation of a loving and personal God and then not want to get to know Him better? I don’t believe I have all the answers, but I will share my thoughts with you.
I have observed some who have stepped into the kingdom and yet behave bitterly toward the Lord. The One who left glory to walk in the skin of His creation, be rejected, condemned, and die a horrible death to set them free from sin and death, and yet they treat Him with contempt. It appears on the surface as though they feel they got what they wanted, a free pass to heaven, and that is all the further they want their Christian experience to go. Yet I believe that appearances are deceiving.
I don’t believe anyone receives the salvation of their soul and experiences the forgiveness of sin and does not also have a love for the Lord. How can one experience this miracle and not love the One who brought it? There must be something more that keeps a soul from experiencing all that Jesus has for her.
Fear is a great hindrance to enjoying intimacy with Jesus. There is a line in a song that says something about not wanting to cry for fear the tears will never stop. Fear of the unknown. Fear of the uncontrollable. Fear of the “what ifs”. Whatever the underlying problem is, so many times fear is the culprit.
Jesus wants to reach into a soul to heal and to mature a person. Yet she says, “What if it hurts too much before the healing? What if I can’t bear the memories? What if He can’t heal me? What if the tears never stop? What if I go crazy trying?” What if? What if she never tries and spends the rest of her life encapsulated in the cocoon of self-preservation she has woven herself and her wounds into? She finds herself always choking on the past and continuing to wallow in her pain.
So frightened of the unknown, she holds Jesus at arm’s length and refuses Him the intimacy He desires and the intimacy that she was created for. Fooling herself into thinking that being in control of everyone and everything will keep her from experiencing the pain when it instead robs her of abundant life! How my heart sorrows for these women, children of the Most High God. I weep for them—I weep for you.
Sometimes the fear is of the unknown life of healing. Too often the pain becomes a familiar friend and one cannot imagine life without it. How would one act completely free of past hurts? A life that is different from the one known and experienced is a frightening thing.
“Fear not!” and “Do not fear” are phrases found five hundred and fifty-four times in the Bible. The phrase has been heard often, “fear is a great motivator.” Fear motivates people to great feats and it also motivates people to staunch resistance. Fear is a powerful emotion. That is why God has said, “Fear not” so many times.
Paul wrote to Timothy that, “. . . God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). Quite simply God has given us miraculous power to meet every obstacle; love, which casts out fear (1 John 4:8); and a sound mind which is discipline or self-control. With these great gifts, one can realize that God has already given her all she needs to meet the healing balm of the Lord with confidence.
Jesus said, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). He will not force anyone to give up their hurts, sorrows, or secrets to Him. He is gentle and a gentleman. However, He has promised if you submit to Him, and His will, it will not be burdensome and He will heal your soul.
Have you recognized yourself as you have read this? Has the Lord placed His finger on a place in you that you are reluctant to allow Him access to? Will you recognize right now that your Gentle Savior would like to place a healing balm upon your heart’s wound to bring healing to your soul? Will you trust that He is faithful, kind, and gentle? Will you believe that He has given you the strength to receive the healing? Take a moment right now and offer that thing up to the Lord. Speak it out loud to Him and receive your healing. You can do it. The only result will be a freedom you’ve never before known. Don’t you want to take a chance to be freed from that cocoon—from that suffocation?
Go ahead pray right now. I’ll wait.
Congratulations. I know; it was a difficult thing to do. I’m so proud of you for trying and trusting. Jesus is good. He is gentle and He is kind. He desires to restore you to whom you were created to be. You are well on your way now.
If you did pray and receive healing, will you call and tell someone in leadership in your church. Share your joy and give the Lord a praise offering by sharing your experience. Who knows, it may encourage someone else to trust Him for their healing.
If you are a woman with a hurt so deep that you are afraid to do this alone, please call a leader in your church and ask her to pray you through to healing. Believe me, it will be her privilege and pleasure. May the Lord bless you as you submit all things to His care.