Healing For Your Soul

Can God really heal your pain? Does every trial come to make you stronger? Is it better to 'go through' willingly, or put off dealing with your pain as long as possible? Read on to discover the secrets that will help you heal your soul.

Can God really heal your pain? Yes He can (He can do all things!) - but He can only do so with your permission. Of course I want to be healed, you are thinking. Right. Just like the invalid who lay at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-9). In this story, this man, who had lain by this pool for 38 years, encountered Jesus. This man and many others like him waited by that pool every day because they knew at a certain time, an angel would come and 'trouble' the water. And they knew that whoever stepped into this pool immediately after the 'troubling' of the water would be healed. Jesus saw this man, knew his story and approached him. But, funnily enough, even though Jesus knew his whole story, he asked the man 'Wilt thou be made whole?'

Think about it - Jesus was asking the man if he wanted to get better! Obviously he wanted to get better, right? He had been lame for 38 years! Why else, you ask yourself, would he have waited by that pool every single day if he didn't want to get better? But the really telling part of the story is what the man said in response to Jesus's question. The first thing that came out of the man's mouth was an excuse - he told Jesus how he had no one to carry him to the water, and how others made it into the water before he could get in the pool. Jesus, however, got right to the heart of the matter and told the man 'Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.' So the man got up, picked up his mat and walked! He was healed.

What can we learn from this passage of scripture? One - that God can heal. Two - that you have to have the desire to be healed and three - that your healing requires your participation. How do I know this? One - because the man was healed. Two - Jesus first needed to know if the man even wanted to be healed (he needed his permission) and three - Jesus instructed the man to get up, pick up his mat and walk! This man's healing was not passive - he was required to be an active participant!

So, before you begin your journey to healing, first ask yourself this question - do you really want to be healed? Before you say yes, think about it. Would you really like to be removed from your pain? Would you really like to know what it is like to be freed from your burdens, no longer so prone to depression and to experience a positive, cheery attitude on a daily basis? It might sound funny, but it's not. There are usually very real (though subconscious) reasons that people choose to be 'sick' rather than be made whole. There are many things you will sacrifice once you are healed - the constant attention from your friends and family who are worried about you; the right to wait for someone else to come and fix your problems; and, less time and attention to give to worrying about your own problems. You will discover that, as a whole person, you will have an increased responsibility to help your friends, families and loved ones through their difficult times instead of focusing on your own. As hard as it may be to face, many times we choose to remain in our pain because it allows life to be more about us than about anybody else. And who wants to give that up?

So, again I ask you - Do you really want to be free? Yes, you say? Then here is what you need to do:

Turn your cares over to God.

1 Peter 5:7 says that you should cast 'all your care upon him; for he careth for you.' That means give your cares to God. All of them. Right now. This does not mean leave them for a little while, worry about them later or find new things to worry about. It means put them down, walk away and don't look back! Also the 'cast' in this verse means to 'throw upon' or 'place upon', implying that this is an ongoing task. So cast your cares on him now, tomorrow and every day and every minute you have a care - cast them on God! And move on.

Allow Jesus to bear your burdens

In a beautiful passage of scripture, in Matthew 11:28 - 30, Jesus says to us "28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." This means you are not to carry your own burdens - we are to give them to him. And we are to bear Jesus's 'yoke' - the Great Commission to bear witness of him and spread the gospel. This yoke is not a heavy burden, because it is Jesus who bears all the weight - not we ourselves. We provide the labor, but God empowers us to be able to carry out His will. So, put your burdens down and pick up Jesus's.

Yes, Trials Are Good For you!

Trials are good at doing what they are supposed to - mature and test you! No, I don't like going through them and I'm sure you don't either, but I rejoice in the knowledge that trials come for a reason. In James 1:2-4, we are reminded that we are to "2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." In other words, we will not become mature or complete without having trials! How else would you know that God is faithful unless you had been in a situation that called upon His faithfulness? How else would you know that God provides if you had not been in a situation where you needed His provision? Trials come to makes us complete (i.e., whole, well). And, you want to be whole now, don't you?

Allow Yourself to 'Go Through'

Jesus reminded us that we would have tribulations in this life (John 16:33) but that we are to be encouraged because, ultimately, he has already attained the victory for everything we are going through. But, remember - he said we would have tribulation. No ifs, ands or buts. One way or another, you will 'go through' something, whether it's a divorce, a court case, the death of a loved one, it will be something. Something that will test your faith, leave you dejected or feeling hopeless and out of sorts. But you must fight to get through to the other side.

No matter what it is. No matter how hard it is to take. As Christians, our ultimate consolation is in knowing that we will be in heaven with God forever. That our names are already counted in the Book of Life and that our lives have had meaning and purpose. So, while it is not pleasant to lose your job, be separated from your family, become temporarily homeless or have any other host of ills befall you - remember this: this is only happening to make you stronger. There is another side after you 'go through' this problem, situation or circumstance and there is a solution - somewhere, somehow. It may not be the answer you want or the answer you were praying for, but it will be an answer nonetheless.

'Go through' whatever you have to go through and get to that other side. And know this - the journey will not always be easy, but it will always be worth it. Remember - God really can heal your pain and He will - if you let Him. And if you begin today to live in a manner consistent with wholeness and wellness - understanding that you are to cast your cares upon Him, allowing Jesus to carry your burdens, understanding that trials are sent to strengthen you and allowing yourself to go through whatever you have to go through - God will heal your soul.

Sonya C. Triggs is a contributing writer to Urban Christianz Ministries, which can be found at http://www.urbanchristianz.com.

Visit this website to read more articles about every day spirituality, dating, relationships and becoming closer to God.

recurring cleaning service Mundelein ..
In The News:

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.
Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.
Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.
Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.
Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.
Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.
Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.
Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.
iPhone and Android users can reduce battery drain and data usage by restricting Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi connections instead of mobile networks.
Scammers nearly stole an Apple account by exploiting the support system with authentic-looking tickets and phone calls, users can protect themselves with safety steps.
FoloToy restored sales of its AI teddy bear Kumma after a weeklong suspension following safety group findings of risky and inappropriate responses to children.
Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.
Viral video shared by Elon Musk shows Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots performing tasks from cooking to construction, garnering over 58.5 million views on social media.
Chinese hackers used Anthropic's Claude AI to launch autonomous cyberattacks on 30 organizations worldwide, marking a major shift in cybersecurity threats.
Apple's new Sleep Score feature gives you a rating for your nightly rest quality. Learn how to set it up on your Apple Watch and iPhone today.
Essential phone settings to enable before losing your device, including Find My network, location services and security features for iPhone and Android.
The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.
Cybersecurity research shows weak passwords remain a major threat, with simple patterns and number sequences putting millions of accounts at risk.
New Android malware BankBot YNRK silences phones, steals banking data and drains crypto wallets automatically. Learn how this advanced threat works.
FDA approves first human trial for Paradromics' brain-computer interface that could restore speech for paralyzed patients through neural technology.
New phishing platform QRR targets Microsoft 365 users across 1,000 domains in 90 countries. Learn how to spot fake login pages and protect your accounts.
OpenTable now uses AI to track your dining habits and share insights with restaurants. Learn what data they collect and how to protect your privacy.
Google's discontinued Nest thermostats still secretly upload home data to company servers despite losing smart features, raising serious privacy concerns.
New Android malware NGate steals NFC payment codes in real-time, allowing criminals to withdraw cash from ATMs without your card. Learn protection tips.
DoorDash confirms data breach exposing customer names, emails, addresses after social engineering attack. Learn how to protect yourself from scams.

Your Attitude Determines Your Future

Do you realize you are creating your future by the... Read More

Two Simple Ways To Get Anything You Want

"Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure,... Read More

Preparing For Enlightenment

Enlightenment can come in an instant or it may take... Read More

Anam Cara - The Blessing

In Corrogue it is frosty.The ramp into our "acre of... Read More

How To Fall With Style - The Art Of Sin

Adam had it right when he covered himself with fig... Read More

Master of Horoscope - Walter Mercado

Celebrities and common people all over the world are known... Read More

The Search for Gods Intention

I believe in the source we refer to as 'God'.... Read More

Protective Symbols, Charms, and Totems

There is power in meanings of the old images and... Read More

How Much Do You Love Me?

Love...it's a deep emotion. Sometimes we say it in jest... Read More

What is the Evil Eye?

The Evil Eye has been around since the beginning of... Read More

Homeless, Rejected, and Poor

Fanny J. Crosby's famous hymn, "Tell Me the Story of... Read More

Abandon Religion

Why Abandon Religion?It is so commonly believed today that religion... Read More

A Dozen Facts of Life

1. Life is a precious gift given to us by... Read More

The Flow Of Money

The more we worry about money, and who's asking for... Read More

Mankinds Ten Worst Enemies: #2 Arrogance

According to H. G. Bosch, the newspaper cartoonist H. T.... Read More

Penthouse or Basement? The Spiritual Realm is Topsy-Turvy

Am I dreaming? The sign outside the skyscraper reads: "Spiritual... Read More

How Long, O Lord? A Meditation on Habakkuk

In Habakkuk, the prophet cries out in a lament complaint... Read More

Be Still

Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God;I... Read More

Animal Totems - Accept the Gifts They Have To Offer You

You can think of your Animal Totems as imaginary guides... Read More

Catch A New Lover With DIY Magic!

One night, whilst watching TV, I understood a very useful... Read More

Anam Cara - Watching The River Flow

I love rivers. I have for many years lived away... Read More

Honoring the Sacred in Everyday Life

How many of us rush blindly through our days, fall... Read More

The Importance of Honoring Mothers and Fathers

With another year full of family events coming upon us,... Read More

Unfinished Business (Part 2)

We know that David did much to stabilize the Kingdom... Read More

Calling All Angels - Talking to Angels

I am a big believer in the strength of a... Read More

tidy up service Buffalo Grove ..