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What do you do with the hurt? It truly is important to be intentional about getting past the hurts of our lives, because when we harbor them, they become destructive forces in our lives, they rob us of joy, and they allow bitterness to take root in our hearts.

Let me close with one of my favorite passages from Isaiah 58:6-9.

Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I (Isaiah 58:6-9).

Here Isaiah tells us what to do with hurt feelings. He redefines how to respond when you’ve been hurt, when you need healing from the past. You may have some very deep hurt that just doesn’t go away quickly at all; I understand that. But look at what Isaiah tells us.

If we pursue this kind of fasting:

  • To help those who are wrongly treated
  • To reach those who are in the bondage of some addiction
  • To share food with hungry people and shelter with the homeless
  • To pay particular attention to those of your own flesh and blood who need help

Then, Isaiah says, your light will break forth and your healing will quickly appear. Letting go of your own hurt and choosing to help others who are hurting is the quickest and best way to find the healing you need, whether it’s a brief hurt you’ve gone through or one that has caused great trauma for a long time. This is God’s cure for hurt feelings, for the emotional pain you may have endured or still are enduring. Claim it for yourself, so your light will break forth and your healing will quickly appear.